Lacking Sight
by Neo-Lifethane
Summary: The Byakugan sees many things, but its possessors are not all seeing, and neither are those of the Sharingan. A blind man and his young Jinchuuriki brother will show them what real sight is. NaruHina.
1. Prologue: Wounded Hope

**Disclaimer: **I own no rights to Naruto, his friends, or the wonderful world in which he lives. Keisuke of the Grave and all things pertaining to him, however, are mine. :D

**Prologue: Wounded Hope**

Orochimaru grinned as his eyes beheld the massive stone door before him. Old, demonic-looking seals were carved into it. In their time, those seals had represented an impassable barrier to all but the most knowledgeable of souls, and had kept this tomb tightly locked beneath the earth for generations. Apparently, the man—or demon—that had sealed it intended for it to be found only after several eons had passed, if at all. And it seemed that for some time now, his wishes had been granted.

However, the stone upon which the carvings were made was not entirely proof against time, and erosion had sapped the carvings of much of their coherency. Without their original perfection, their forbidding power had begun to fade away. The door was no longer the impenetrable locked gate that it had been made to be. In those old, frayed seals that used to project insurmountable solidity, Orochimaru saw a weakness—and with it, an opportunity.

The Snake Sannin knew that mortals did not lock up and hide away things in such a manner that were small, trivial, or worthless. Only the worst criminals, the most sacred treasures, and the most terrible powers imaginable received such sheltering, solid tombs. The nature of the demonic seals that locked it also said much, for only two kinds of entity knew how to write them: Demons, and those whose job or hobby it was to seal demons. Whatever was kept in this old tomb, Orochimaru knew, had to be something either immensely precious or immensely powerful, and Orochimaru was not one to refuse a chance to obtain power.

His grin remained plastered to his pale, menacing face as he moved forward to shatter the seals. They did not hold for long against the legendary Snake Sannin, and within moments, the door to the tomb was open, its contents exposed for Orochimaru to behold and master. He braced himself against possible attack; he still did not know whether or not the seals were the tombs only defense, or if the contents themselves were in any way dangerous. When no attack came, however, Orochimaru's grin widened, and he stepped into the cold, dark, stone-walled chamber, eager for a power he could seize...

> > > > > >

For a long time, the blind man lay in cold and darkness.

Then, rather suddenly, the door to his prison was heaved open. Moments later, the ice which had bound his form for a time that he failed to measure was shattered, and he felt his body crash to the stone floor amid melting shards. For several minutes, the man with no eyes failed to move, but the faint warmth from the torches carried by the men standing in the tomb slowly seeped into the room and thawed his stiff muscles. After a silence that lasted half of an eternity, he was able to rise to his feet.

"So," drawled a voice from the door, "What is it that I've unearthed here, in this demon-sealed tomb?" The blind one flinched. He could tell after the first word that the owner of this voice was not at all a pleasant person. As it continued it's questioning, he almost felt the cold of his imprisonment return to him, despite the heat of the torches.

"Strange," it went on, "It doesn't seem to be anything worth my time. Are you a demon? A Jinchuuriki, perhaps? The creator of a Jutsu to defy the ravages of time? Or are you simply an eyeless, frozen human who has yet to surrender to death?"

The prisoner tried to find his voice to respond, but to no avail; his larynx was a solid block of frozen human tissue. All he could produce was a frosty breath of air, at which the questioning voice took on a disinterested tone.

"Well, that is quite the shame," it said, "I had hoped for something that I might make great use of. Unfortunately, it seems as though all of my efforts to dig you out have yielded me nothing of true value."

The owner of the voice approached the blind man, leaning down until he was practically breathing in the blind man's ear. The blind one shuddered involuntarily, more from fearful discomfort rather than the cold. Some part of his newly thawed brain was telling him that his frailty resulting from being frozen for countless years was about to earn him a very unpleasant welcome-back-to-life party.

"But, no matter. I am always in need of new test subjects, and you ought to do well. You know, I've always wondered if the human body can feel more pain when they aren't distracted by their vision…"

Although he had no eyes to see, the prisoner was certain that the owner of that malefic voice was smiling.

> > > > > > > > > 

Although pain had become the staple of the blind man's diet by this point, he still did not appreciate how much more difficult his escape was because of it. It was bad enough trying to scramble over rocks, climb trees, wade through rapids, and find food without being able to see… Add to that a massive headache, unstaunched blood loss (both internal and external), a complete lack of any sense of direction or location, horrific emaciation, and generally excruciating pain accompanying every movement, and he was in a state that was more than a little sad.

Yet, he continued, because the alternative was to be recaptured and taken back to that hell, where pain that was several thousand times worse awaited him. While he had no idea where he was going, he was sure that it had to be better than what he had left behind.

At least, that's what he hoped.

"Damn you," he gasped out, stopping momentarily to cough up blood, "I swear, if the rest of the world is even a fraction of what that hell was, I will murder you, you sadistic beast. Blind or not."

> > > > > > > > > > 

A seven year old boy sat in his favorite swing outside the ninja academy in Konohagakure, pondering—not for the first time—his abnormal existence. Normally on a bright, warm summer day like this, his after-class activities involved the pulling of pranks, eating clean through the Ichiraku Ramen bar's storerooms, or working on learning new (sometimes perverted to annoy Iruka-sensei) variations of ninjutsu to impress Sakura-chan and show the world just how great he was.

But this was not a normal day for the blonde ninja-in-training. This was one of those days when young Uzumaki Naruto spent his afternoon trying to convince himself that he was alive. He had to do this himself, because nobody else seemed to want to do it for him. Naruto had no parents to love him, care for him, and be proud of him. He had no friends to support him or pick him up when he went down. Hell, most people found it too much of an effort to even acknowledge him, and those that did treated him like a nuisance or a speck of dirt, rather than as a living, breathing thing.

And so, Uzumaki Naruto did his utmost to _make_ people acknowledge him. Even if the attention he received from his troublemaking was negative, it still told him what he desperately needed to know: He existed. It was sad, but until he could graduate from the academy and show them a Naruto whose existence could not be denied by anyone, it was the only way he knew to make people look at him.

It hurt him, knowing that the only eyes that he could turn his way were so cold and hateful. Some days, as on this one, Naruto just felt hopeless. And on those days, he sat here, on his swing, trying to find a reason to continue. He got up from his swing and began walking, until his feet found the edge of the forest, a place of solitude where he could let down his prankster mask without fear.

"Sometimes," he said to the summer air, "I wish that someone would look at me without those eyes…"

His emotional reverie was interrupted by the crunching of the forest floor beneath heavy feet. Turning swiftly and drawing an old, chipped kunai, Naruto searched frantically for the source of the noise. If someone was going to attack him out here with those cold eyes, he'd be damned if he didn't beat them to a bloody pulp.

However, the source of the noise was not an assailant. The man who faced Naruto now was the least threatening-looking man that Naruto had ever seen, because he didn't have those hateful eyes—in fact, he had no eyes at all—and he was in such a state of hurt that he couldn't possibly have been a threat to a two-year-old, let alone the blonde Hokage-to-be. Naruto dropped the kunai in shock.

The eyeless man's head turned towards him. He'd heard the knife hit the ground. Taking a step forward, he spoke with a pained, ragged voice. "N-Ninja?"

Naruto fought through his surprise and responded, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to be Hokage one day!"

"Ah," the stranger groaned, "Good… you can… help me…" Then, his energy expended, he collapsed to the forest floor.

"Oi! Nii-chan! Hang on!" The young Naruto ran to the injured, blind stranger, a new determination in his blue eyes. This man had not yelled at him, had not assumed from his loud, boyish voice that he was not just some useless kid, had not scoffed at his ambition to become Hokage; he had immediately put his trust in _him_, Uzumaki Naruto, and asked for help. Nobody in Konohagakure had ever accepted help from him before.

"Don't worry, nii-chan. I'll get you to the village." This person trusted Naruto willingly, where nobody else had. If he needed help, then Uzumaki Naruto would make sure that he got it.

> > > > > > > > > 

When he awoke, the blind man found himself in a clean hospital bed, swathed in several bandages on his arms, left leg, and abdomen. He felt dull aching sensations beneath the wraps, but otherwise his body was completely free of pain. Also, the emaciated feeling had completely vanished, and he was more than ready to believe that his lost blood had been miraculously replenished as well. This was a welcome discovery to him; quite frankly, he'd expected not to wake up.

_I'm pleased that I did, though,_ he thought to himself, a small smile crossing his face, _that young ninja must be pretty good if he managed to save my sorry behind. _As soon as he moved his hands to feel out his surroundings, said young ninja piped up from a chair across the room.

"Nii-chan! You survived!"

"Thanks to your intervention, yeah… I did." The blind man's smile broadened. "Uzumaki Naruto, was it? You've got my gratitude, boy. It must have been a pain dragging me here, ne?"

"Nothing that a future Hokage couldn't handle." The eyeless one didn't know what a Hokage was, but the boy's energy was infectious, so he didn't question him. When he failed to respond immediately, Naruto asked his own question. "So, nii-chan, what got you so beat up? Was it enemy ninja?"

"I have a name, you know," the man chuckled. "It's Keisuke, not nii-chan. As for what did… that… to me, I couldn't really tell if they were shinobi or not. When they found me, I'd been away from civilization a long time, and it was hard enough just trying to figure out where I was."

"But Keisuke-nii-san, couldn't you have figured it out from their headbands? Or their ninjutsu?"

Keisuke sighed at the kid's continued use of "nii-san" but declined to challenge it again, opting instead to just answer the question. "I can't see anything, so I wouldn't be able to figure it out through an article of clothing, and just because they didn't use any jutsu doesn't mean that they weren't capable of it… especially since they probably wouldn't feel the need to use jutsu on a starved blind man anyway."

Keisuke couldn't see the blonde's face fall in disappointment, but he could feel the kid's aura begin to show signs of frustration. Apparently, the young one had been anticipating some cool ninja story. He smiled again… Kids could be such great entertainment sometimes.

Keisuke said, "I'll tell you this, though: Ninja or not, those guys sure were mean little bastards."

Suddenly, a stern voice interrupted from the doorway. "Alright, you," she said, indicating Naruto, "Out. Bad enough that you dirtied one of our patients by convincing Hokage-sama to have us give him your filthy blood, but I won't have you teaching him how to muck up our village. Out!"

Keisuke sensed anger and a bit of defiance in the kid's aura, the latter of which was quickly suppressed. "Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, "I'm going… Keisuke-nii-chan, I hope you get out of there soon. This woman's a nightmare."

With that, a scuffle began as young Naruto was chased out of the room. Keisuke could only laugh at that. However, he had not expected a hospital nurse to be so hostile to a kid. _What could he have done to make her refer to his blood as "filthy?"_ he wondered. _It can't be that bad, especially since the kid was nice enough to let me have some…_

"Naruto-kun, I hope you survive. Judging the woman's actions, I think you may be right…" That said, Keisuke relaxed into the bed, letting sleep hasten his recovery.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Released from the hospital, Keisuke wandered the village—which, he had learned, was called Konoha—in search of replacements for his worn, ragged garments. This was an urgent need, as he could feel the stares that the villagers were giving him. He wondered briefly whether this was because of his empty eye sockets or because his clothing wasn't covering as much of him as it should have been. He assumed that it was the former, but would not have been surprised if the latter was true; these rags had survived some pretty lavish torture.

Initially, he'd attempted to find a clothing store by heading towards the place where he sensed the most female auras, but this had yielded the rather unpleasant result of him walking into the women's baths. Apparently, morning hot baths were popular in Konoha. Keisuke had been the recipient of several punches, kicks, and bruises before one woman, upon attempting to gouge his eyes out, had discovered that he had no eyes to gouge and therefore could not have been sneaking into the women's bath to peep at naked girls. So now, a half-clothed, battered, and lost Keisuke was trying to come up with a new way to locate a clothing shop.

His salvation turned out to be none other than Uzumaki Naruto. "Oi, Keisuke-nii-chan! You lost?" Keisuke felt himself smiling again. This kid's energy was infectious.

> > > > > > > > > > > > 

"Nii-chan, I still think that orange would've looked totally kick-ass on you."

"And I still think that wearing clothes that scream, 'hit me' isn't in my best interest."

Having managed to avoid being clothed entirely in orange (Keisuke had no way of knowing what orange or any other color was, but he did know by word of mouth that it was one of the most annoyingly noticeable colors, and did not want to stand out) by his loud young friend, Keisuke walked out of one store clad in tough black pants, thick-soled boots, a black T-shirt with a red spiral emblem, dark green fingerless gloves which sported metal plates, and a dark green vest, which he chose to leave unzipped. Dark sunglasses hid his eyeless sockets, giving him a look of normalcy in the bright Konoha afternoon. In his hand, he held a bag with three matching sets of clothing, a winter jacket, and some semi-formal wear for special occasions. How his young friend had been able to pay for all of it, Keisuke did not know.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it, nii-chan," Naruto said, "Old man Hokage gives me money every year for new clothes, but I haven't outgrown most of my stuff this year. You need it more than I do, anyway."

"'Old man Hokage?' So you don't live with your parents?"

"I don't have any parents to live with."

Keisuke's eyebrows arched, showing his surprise. "I'm sorry. That must be tough."

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to it, you know?"

Keisuke smiled. For a kid so small to be so independent and thoughtful, it was a true miracle to Keisuke's worried mind. "You're really something, Naruto-kun. Since I'd been gone from civilization such a long time, I was worried that the world might have become a bad place to live. But since I know that such strong kids like you still exist, I guess I was worried over nothing, eh?"

Naruto was having a similar feeling about things. Not everyone, it seemed, was inclined to automatically ignore him or treat him like pond scum. "Glad I could help, Keisuke-nii-san. I'd better get to the academy and get chewed out by Iruka-sensei. If you're still around later, I'll show you Ichiraku, this awesome ramen bar. You'll love it!"

"I'm looking forward to it, Naruto-kun. Until next time."

> > > > > > > > > > > > 

Hyuuga Hinata watched silently from the shadows as Naruto, the boy she admired, went about his youthful life. She tended to do this often during the brief periods after the academy let out and, on occasion, she was capable of losing track of time and earning a sharp rebuke from her father. It was a behavior that she had picked up not long after she had entered the academy, and though she knew that it wasn't quite a normal thing to do, she did not plan on stopping any time soon. After all, this wasn't just any boy that she was—for lack of a more sugar-coated word—stalking; Naruto was the shining example of everything that Hinata wasn't.

As a member of the famed Hyuuga clan, Hinata was expected to meet standards far above those of the average shinobi. However, thus far she had shown no more promise than anyone else among the academy classes, and even though she had been trained in her family's Jyuuken Taijutsu style since she was three years old, her form was far from perfect. As a result, her father, along with many others of the main family, had begun to view her as a weak person. She knew this absolutely; it was plain as day in their eyes, and after going through this treatment for a few years she had started to believe it herself.

Naruto, though, was something else entirely. The boy had borne the weight of those disgusted looks for as long as Hinata had known him, and yet it didn't stop him. It did not even slow him down. Where people expected so much from Hinata, they expected next to nothing from Naruto. In spite of this, Naruto would charge headlong into any challenge set before him—be it the mastery of a jutsu or simply his eternal quest for attention—and seek to overpower it with all his young might. Even when beaten, he never quit, but rose again to throw himself into his task until he either succeeded or collapsed from exhaustion.

He was everything that Hinata wished she could be, and more. Therefore, no sooner had she known him, she had developed a feeling for him very like hero worship. The more she saw him, the stronger the admiration became.

Today's Naruto-stalking was little different from the other days: the academy let them go, Naruto hung around the shuriken practice area for a while before heading off to Ichiraku for lunch. However, today he'd managed to meet up with a tall stranger in rags, who he addressed as "Keisuke-nii-chan." Both men's faces had lit up upon seeing each other, and Naruto didn't hesitate to drag him back into the ramen bar with him.

Hinata's face flushed a little as she watched Naruto dig into his seventh bowl of pork ramen that afternoon. She admired his spirit, but she still wasn't quite used to witnessing this phenomenon yet. The stranger's face expressed little, but the smile on his face widened as he had his first helping. Ichiraku was not, after all, Naruto's only source of lunch because the food was bad. The stranger and Naruto exchanged a few words before parting, and as he walked off, Naruto had one of the biggest smiles on his face that Hinata had ever seen, bigger than the one she usually saw after he ate his ramen. Hinata's face grew slightly red at this. The last few times she had watched this, Naruto's smile seemed to bring a strange heat and light-headedness to her, a feeling completely alien to her young mind. Disturbingly, she had no idea what it was.

"Naruto-kun," she breathed quietly, no other words managing to escape. Those four syllables seemed to express her whole world in these kinds of moments.

"You like him, don't you?" asked a strange voice from behind her.

Hinata jumped. It was the stranger that Naruto had been talking to. She had not seen or heard him approach at all. Before she could begin any other reaction, he spoke again.

"I felt your eyes on us when I sat down at the ramen bar... It's a bit rude to sit there and stare at people, you know, especially without telling them. I believe it's called 'stalking,' actually."

Hinata wasn't very good with speaking to strangers, and her reply was a broken, "G-g-gomen nas-s-ai…"

"Don't worry about it, girl… I could never stay mad at a cute kid like you," he said, ruffling Hinata's hair with one hand as he spoke. "Just don't let me catch you doing that when I'm around again, or I'll turn you in to someone with the authority to discipline you for it. I'm not one for stalking."

His smile returned to his face as he asked again, "So, you must like Naruto-kun quite a bit then, eh?" Hinata was silent, but her redness had intensified somewhat at this. The man seemed to understand, though… he gave her a nod and reassured her, "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. That's a promise."

Hinata let out the breath she'd been holding and responded with, "A-arrigatou gozimasu."

"My name is Keisuke, by the way. I'm pleased to meet you, friend of Naruto-kun."

"Ano… I am Hyuuga Hinata…"

"Hyuuga, eh?" Keisuke frowned, for reasons the young Hyuuga girl did not know.

"Yes," she said, then gasped as she remembered, "Oh, no! It's much later than I realized… I should have returned home an hour ago! Father will be angry!" She turned and started toward her clan's property.

Keisuke stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and said, "Hey now… No need for you to suffer your father's wrath on my account. I'll walk home with you, and explain that I held you up. Besides," he said, his mouth set in a sudden determination, "I should very much like to see how the Hyuuga have fared in these times…"

Hinata was unsure how this Keisuke was connected to her family, but since he was kind enough to offer his protection against a scolding, she accepted.

> > > > > > > > > > > 

Keisuke's thoughts raced inside his head at a rate that made a flying shuriken seem like a slowly revolving carousel. _Hyuuga_… That had been the name that Keisuke's own son had taken after fleeing the house on his sixteenth birthday. As he turned the name over and over in his head, he felt himself becoming anxious. _This girl… her father… Could they be…? _ There was a way to find out: Keisuke's wife had told her about his son's gloriously pale and highly efficient eyes, and Keisuke himself had sensed that his aura was thicker towards the region that enveloped the front of his head. He tuned out his other senses, putting all of his attention on his sense of touch so that he could sense the subtle vibration of Hinata's aura.

What Keisuke felt made him almost groan aloud. The girl had the same heaviness of aura in the front of her head. Though it was remotely possible that he was wrong, Keisuke was fairly sure now that Hyuuga Hinata was, however distantly, related to his runaway son. The knowledge only made his anxiety ten times worse. He could remember his jailor's last words to him: "_Though they will strive for purity, their existence was cursed from the moment of your birth. They are, and ever will be, damned. It is my hope that you do not rot here… I would very much like to see your anguished face when you meet them again…_

Keisuke shook off the demoness's parting monologue, struggling to drag his nerves back to the surface. The sadistic bitch was wrong, she had to be. Hyuuga Hinata was far from damned, in his eyes. If she was typical of her family, then there should be nothing for him to worry about. These thoughts gave Keisuke confidence as his companion led him through what sounded like a large gate. At once, they were accosted by a man who Keisuke presumed was Hinata's father.

"Hinata," the man began, sternness evident in his deep voice, "You are very late. I told you to return here immediately after the academy had finished with you. Did you forget?"

Hinata bowed her head in shame. "G-gomen…"

"Pardon me, Hyuuga-san," Keisuke interjected, "But the fault is mine. I am a newcomer to this village, and lost my way. Hinata-chan was kind enough to show me where I might obtain food and lodging, though she needn't have bothered. I am sorry that I interfered with your plans."

The man's aura did not change, but remained the stern, seemingly immovable force that it had been since it had appeared. "Because you are a stranger, I forgive you. However, I must ask that you do not interfere again. Hinata's training must be the most important part of her life if she is to gain the strength that she needs to head the Hyuuga clan." Now Keisuke felt something: A flash of something negative in Hinata's direction—disappointment? "Already, she has fallen considerably behind schedule."

At this, Keisuke's perception gave him glimpses of a reality that he had been loathe to see; This Hyuuga was more concerned with Hinata, his heir, rather than Hinata, his daughter. Already, a part of the demoness's prediction was beginning to seem like truth. Desperate to prove otherwise, Keisuke dared to probe a little.

He steeled himself as he spoke again. "I will honor your wishes, Hyuuga…?"

"Hiashi."

"Hyuuga Hiashi," he repeated. "I'll not bother you a second time, unless I am invited." Keisuke secretly felt that the latter part of his vow was unnecessary; it seemed highly unlikely that Hiashi was the type to welcome visitors. "But, if I may, I'll ask a question before I leave you."

Hiashi did not react. Keisuke interpreted his silence as a lack of rejection rather than lack of permission, and continued. "There is an impurity in your aura, and in the aura of your child, that is reminiscent of an acquaintance of mine. May I know who it was that founded your clan?"

To his dismay, Keisuke's ploy worked as intended; Hiashi's aura became tinged with surprise at the word "impurity," and was quickly replaced by an unmistakable seriousness. "Hinata," he commanded, his severity perceptible in his voice, "Get inside." Hinata hastily obeyed. As soon as she passed out of range of Keisuke's hearing, Hiashi spoke again.

"You… what do you know of the Hyuuga? You say that you are a stranger to Konoha… are you a spy? An assassin? A diplomat? Speak, or I will arrest you and have you interrogated." Keisuke felt words left unspoken in the intensity of his aura: _If you survive._ Not wanting to take the chance, Keisuke opted to speak.

"I am not a diplomat, nor an assassin, nor a spy. I merely wish to know if you are a relative of my acquaintance, since you share the same impurity, and most likely the same power as a result of that impurity." Said impurity suddenly became much more noticeable in Hiashi's aura. "Ah," Keisuke continued, "So you do have it…"

"The Byakugan is not an impurity. My ancestors purged themselves of impurity long before you or I was born. The power which you name impure is the sacred strength of the Hyuuga clan, and we protect it with all of our considerable will and might."

Keisuke scowled. This Hyuuga Hiashi was proving quite difficult indeed, and the more he spoke, the more Keisuke began to see the demoness's manipulation in him. Insistently, Keisuke asked, "Ah, but my acquaintance…"

"There are no Hyuuga living outside of Konoha that do not bear the Caged Bird curse seal. The seal makes the Byakugan impossible to detect in one's aura unless it is active. Your friend was likely carrying some kind of impurity, but he was not Hyuuga."

Keisuke wailed inwardly. _A curse seal! How far will these Hyuuga go to protect their "sacred strength" which they obtained from demonic blood? They are blind!_ He felt himself losing hope.

"_Though they will strive for purity… they are, and ever will be, damned."_

Futilely, Keisuke asked, "Your founder…?"

"It is not your place to know!" The Hyuuga's voice had risen considerably, and Keisuke felt him drop into a ready stance. "Who are you, to ask such questions? If you are not a spy, sent to glean the secrets of our power, or an assassin, intending to destroy it, then what are you?"

Keisuke struggled to keep his intense sadness in check. Lifting his head to face Hiashi, he removed his sunglasses, giving the Hyuuga head a clear view of his eyeless face. "I am," he said, voice heavy with grief, "Keisuke of the Grave."

Hiashi's Byakugan deactivated with a snap and his aura become one of lesser shock, but Keisuke wasn't paying attention. He was already headed out of the Hyuuga compound, towards the rapidly setting sun.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > 

As Keisuke was heading out of Konoha's walls the next morning, a loud, energetic, and blonde ninja-in-training caught up to him. A look of sadness was on the boy's face.

"Keisuke-nii-chan, you're leaving already?"

Keisuke sighed. "Yeah, Naruto-kun, I'm leaving."

"But you just got here!" Naruto pouted, upset at seeing one of the first friends he ever made confirm that he was heading out. "Why do you have to go now?"

"Naruto-kun…" Keisuke began, pausing to think of what words might work, "I came to Konohagakure hoping that I would be able to meet some very old friends of mine. However, when I saw them, they were completely unlike what I had hoped they would be… They hated me utterly. If I try to stay here, we won't get along, and we may cause a lot of trouble for the village. I don't want to be the cause of everyone's problems."

"But, nii-chan, if they hate you so much, why don't you try to prove that you aren't worth hating? Why don't you try to become something that they can like?"

A sad smile came to Keisuke's lips. Naruto seemed to understand his kind of pain. "Because, Naruto-kun, for me to do that might get a lot of people killed. Do you want me to be a murderer?"

"Of course not, nii-chan! But you shouldn't have to run away from it!"

"It's either run or be a problem to Konoha, for me, and my conscience won't let me live down the second option" Keisuke returned, gently. "Besides, I don't really need to prove that they're stuck-up bastards… I have a big, strong guy like you to stay here and do it for me, Naruto-kun."

"Huh? Me, nii-chan?"

"Yes. I know you'll be one of the best ninja to ever live one day. Your heart's in the right place and you have the kind of spirit that demands respect. I have every confidence that you will prove to be stronger than almost anyone else, not just physically, but morally as well."

Naruto just whined some more. "But, Keisuke-nii-chan…"

"Nothing you can say will make me remain here. Naruto, I want you to forget about me and throw everything you have into becoming stronger, for your sake and for mine."

These words seemed to reach Naruto; this was the kind of thing that he could put his spirit into, even though he was sad to see his new friend leave. "Okay, nii-chan. The next time you see me, I'll be twice the ninja that your bastard friends are!"

"I'll be disappointed if you aren't," Keisuke said, his genuine smile returning. Naruto turned and ran back toward his favorite training ground. Keisuke felt a presence tense up in the nearby shadows, apparently torn between staying where it was and following the blonde boy. Keisuke's smile widened. One Hyuuga, at least, had some morality left.

He called out to the shadows, "Go ahead and follow him, Hinata-chan. You'll learn a more valuable lesson from him than you ever will from your father." There was a pause, and then the presence moved off after Naruto.

Satisfied, Keisuke of the Grave departed from Konoha to seek a new existence in this age, and to—if luck permitted it—take his vengeance upon the monstrosity that had cursed his line…

> > > > > > > > > > > End Prologue> > > > > > 

**Notes:** This is my first time posting on FFnet. All commentary and criticism is welcome, so let me have it!

Also, if anyone knows a better way to divide sections of the chapter than > > > > > , I would greatly appreciate that information. LOL


	2. C1: You Ain't So Cool

**A/N: **My gratitude to those who reviewed for me. It's my pleasure to continue to crank out chapters for your analytic eyes. ;D

Still haven't figured out how to insert lines between segments, but hopefully somebody reads this and tells me soon. LOL. Also, it would be really cool if someone with more extensive experience with the Japanese language would help confirm my suspicions at the end of the chapter—This way I can try to generate a feeling of authenticity for the ninjutsu that I have created for this fic. Anyway, this chapter and those that follow it shouldn't be quite as long as the prologue, so if anyone was intimidated by the size before, it shouldn't be so bad now.

And now... Chapter 1.

**Chapter One: You Ain't So Cool**

Uzumaki Naruto heaved a sigh of exasperation as he sank into the scalding water. His body wasn't complaining—it had been worked, beaten, and tapped almost to the point of tearing itself apart, and was more than glad to let the hot spring burn its pains away. Naruto's mind, however, was not comforted. Jiraiya, his pro-tem sensei, was really getting on his nerves. Not only did the sorry, perverted excuse for a legendary ninja force him to practically obliterate himself on a daily basis with his "training," he never bothered to do anything for his exhausted disciple when the session was done; in his off-hours, when Naruto was either passed out from fatigue or otherwise incapacitated, he would run off to whatever passed for a bathhouse in the vicinity to do what he called "research" for his infamous Icha Icha series. It made Naruto feel like some kind of rag doll, being tossed around, ripped up, and then neglected by some sadistic, badly-parented kid.

At the same time, though, he knew that he shouldn't argue over it. After all, since he'd left Konoha on this horrendous journey, his performance had been increasing at a rate which he hadn't dreamed possible in all his fourteen years of life. Being trained by the world's most powerful perverted author may not have been fun in the slightest, but it most certainly did not make you weak. Naruto had already managed to master several explosive new ninjutsu techniques, shored up numerous holes in his taijutsu form, and perfected a few new inventive tricks involving his Kage Bunshin technique. His body, after taking brutal daily beatings for almost a year and a half, was many times tougher than it had been when this had begun. He still couldn't pull off anything other than the most basic genjutsu to save his life, but he was now capable of recognizing and, in many cases, breaking intermediate and upper-level illusions. He was more powerful than he had ever been, and he was getting better every day.

Even so, there was no way that anyone could expect Naruto to go through this kind of treatment and not be pissed off. _Damn that bastard Ero-Sennin, _he thought for the hundredth time that day. He grumbled as he rose from the spring, knowing that said perverted hermit was at that very moment conducting his "research" at one of the many female-only hot spring baths in this town. Most likely, he would not see hide nor hair of Jiraiya for several hours at the very least. He decided to use the time frugally, and, after redressing, headed into the nearest ramen stall to give his muscles something to repair themselves with.

> > > > > > > > > > > >

"Ah," exclaimed a very satisfied Naruto, "Food befitting the next Hokage... Ramen never fails to juice me up after a long week." Of course, it had taken about twenty bowls of various flavors to do it, but the ramen cook wasn't about to discourage him; this was some of the best business he'd ever had. _Whoever runs the ramen shop where this kid lives must be the richest man alive,_ he thought.

At a certain ramen bar in Konoha, Ichiraku Teuchi sneezed.

Now that the demands of his body had been met, Naruto turned his attention inward, toward nostalgic daydreams of home and wondering what unbelievably complicated and awesome jutsu he would be learning next... And how Jiraiya was going to run him ragged as he learned it. Even as he fought to keep from yelling, "Damn you to hell, Ero-Sennin," he could picture his sensei's red, drooling face as he "entertained" yet another pair of floozies.

"Hell, I can even hear _them," _he thought aloud. Yet, as the image of his perverted sensei faded from his head, the flirtatious giggling that he'd thought he'd heard did not go away. In fact, it was getting louder. _Oh, great,_ he thought as he realized the truth, _they're real..._ He swiveled in his seat to face the source of the noise, ready to yell numerous obscenities at Jiraiya, though he knew it would only get him increasingly painful training later.

Yet when his eyes found the women, it was not Jiraiya that was between them. Instead, he saw a tall man bedecked in black and green, wearing sunglasses even though he was indoors, escort them to the counter and order two bowls of miso-flavored ramen, as well as one extra-large bowl of what he called, "That super-stamina stuff." Naruto stared. Something about this man stirred something in him. The stranger was attired as a shinobi might be, with a many-pocketed vest, plated gloves, and the usual open-toed boots... yet Naruto could not see a headband anywhere on him.

_This guy... could he be a missing-nin? _

However, Naruto's confused stare became an annoyed one when one of the women chirped, "Oh, the _super-stamina stuff,_ Kei-chan? Planning some real fun tonight, aren't we?" Both she and her friend had a look on their faces that Naruto knew all too well, and it was making him mad. _Grr, this guy is no different from Ero-Sennin. Well, if I have anything to say about it, he's not going to be having much 'fun' tonight..._ He opened his mouth, preparing to rip the sunglasses-freak a new one...

And was interrupted before he began as the man, without so much as turning a hair in his direction, said, "What are you staring at, kid?"

> > > > > > > > > > > >

For about two seconds, the kid's mouth just hung open, and Keisuke wondered if he'd actually managed to shock him speechless. Unfortunately, he hadn't, and as soon as he'd gotten over being interrupted, the kid was in his face, yelling so everyone and their grandma could hear.

"Who do you think I'm staring at? Not like it's hard to notice you or anything, with all the open pervertedness you're radiating." Keisuke tried to counter, but the blond midget's trap hadn't quite shut yet. Though he was already more annoyed than he had been for a while, he mustered his patience and waited for the storm of accusations to blow itself out. He didn't have to wait long, though, because not long after the kid started, he was halted by a slap to the face, courtesy of Keisuke's lovely escort.

"Who do you think you are, brat?" She berated him, "You barely know him and yet you fling all this in his face? Kei-chan isn't the kind of guy who would go to the bathhouse for a peep show!"

The "brat" rubbed his face, where a rather nice palm print had manifested, and returned fire. "Trust me, nee-chan, I know this kind of guy wherever I am, and you are definitely being used!"

"I am not your sister, dunce, and Kei-chan is definitely not what you think he is! He _can't _take peeks because he can't--"

Keisuke cut her off here. "That's enough, Konoka-san. You and Sayuri-san can go home now. I'll handle the little guy."

She complied, though her angry glare didn't leave the kid's face until they were both outside, where she audibly groused to her friend, "Stupid brat, ruined our fun..." before she passed out of earshot. The instant they were gone, Keisuke rose and walked over to the boy, pausing to size up his aura before speaking. The kid was angry, obviously, but what he was looking for were the subtle vibrations that would signal spiking chakra and a high level of fighting power. He found them, but they were unfocused and few; the kid was mad, but not mad enough to kill. Keisuke felt no danger.

Frowning, he said, "I'm sorry that Konoka-san did that. That mark on your face looks quite painful."

"It is. Thanks a lot, freak," came the growling reply.

"Even so, I'm really offended by your unprovoked attempt to degrade me."

"Um, hello! Your behavior back there was pretty provocative."

Keisuke found himself getting more annoyed by the minute. What the heck was with this kid? Sure, he and his friends could be dirty-minded at times, but surely that isn't anything to lose one's temper over.

Though he was ticked off himself, Keisuke contained it. Maybe the little guy was just having a bad day. "I'll grant that Sayuri-san was hinting at something less than sanitary. But I can't see what it has to do with you. What's your beef with me, kid?"

"Stop trying to act cool! I hate jerks like you, acting like you own the world and getting all the attention, then abusing that attention for your own dirty agendas! That's my beef with you! All that attention you're getting, you don't deserve any of it!"

"And I suppose that you think you're better qualified?"

"Hell yeah! Anyone is more qualified than you! You ain't so cool!"

At this point, Keisuke was about ready to blow the ignorant little punk through the roof. However, his common sense got the better of him again, so he was forced to consider alternative action. Fortunately, an idea came to mind that he thought might do the trick.

"Okay, kid. How about we do this..."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Naruto grinned diabolically as he approached the nearest bathhouse. His confidence was practically visible; he knew that he was going to show that freak, and it was going to be a walk in the park. And he'd thought that the sunglasses-freak would give him a challenge...

"_Go to a bathhouse, any bathhouse at all in this town, and see how many looks of adoration _you _get. Come back without another palm-print on your face, and I'll acknowledge that you're not just a brat. Come back with an adoring fan, and I'll acknowledge defeat and let you think whatever you want of me. If you survive, that is... _

"Heh. You've made the grave mistake of underestimating me, sunglasses-freak..."

Naruto formed a hand-seal, preparing the jutsu that would win him the battle in one fell swoop...

> > > > > > > > > > > > > >

_Geez, all that just because Sayuri-san cracked the 'stamina' joke again... people must be pretty stiff where that kid lives._

Keisuke had a rather smug smile on his face as he made his way back to his apartment. He'd expected the little prick to lose hope at the impossibility of the task, or maybe to insist that nobody could do that and demand something easier. However, the block-headed kid accepted the challenge without a moment's hesitation. While he knew that the kid would fail, he couldn't help but admire the persistent spirit that he had.

Little did he know that in mere moments, that small admiration would be horribly overpowered. As he rounded the last corner, he heard a distinctly feminine voice call out to him.

"Oi! Sunglasses-freak! What do you think of me now!"

Keisuke turned and cocked his ear towards the voice, feeling for the person's aura. He was surprised to find that though the voice was female, it belonged to the same brat that had patronized him in the ramen shop. His aura was the same, but the kid had apparently transformed himself. _Into a woman?_ He thought. _Why transform into a woman if you're going to attract... _ That's when Keisuke perceived the _other _auras, the ones massed behind the kid.

Fifty-six of them. All male.

"You moron!" he yelled, "What's up with you? You were supposed to bring back _women..._"

The kid grinned wider. In his sickeningly girly voice, he said, "Doesn't matter! You said, 'come back with an adoring fan, and I'll acknowledge defeat!' I brought back plenty more than one! You have to give up now!"

"Cancel the illusion and see how adoring they are when they find out you're a man."

At these words, the crowd following the kid reeled in confusion, then disgust, then homophobia. In moments, every single one of them had turned and turned and fled back to their homes, not even bothering to return to the bathhouse for their things. As far as they were concerned, it was no longer safe nor sanitary in that particular hot spring.

Meanwhile, the kid, whose defeat had just been snatched from the jaws of victory, had canceled his transformation and now sat on the ground, cursing. Keisuke then did something that he hadn't done in a while: he laughed, and hard. The kid, naturally, didn't take kindly to this.

"What the heck is so funny?"

When he'd managed to get up enough breath to speak normally, Keisuke responded, "Kid... as stupid as you are, if you'd watched those men react that way towards me, you'd just about piss yourself, too."

"Indeed," rang a voice that Keisuke did not know. "Watching this exchange was extremely entertaining. Perhaps I can convince Orochimaru-sama to keep Naruto-kun alive as a comic relief." The voice was definitely malicious, and when Keisuke found it's aura, and the auras of its two accomplices, he found killer intent to match it. "We have no quarrel with you," it continued, speaking to Keisuke alone this time, "But if you choose to come between us and our target, my subordinates and I will kill you without remorse or hesitation."

Keisuke's percipience let him detect the flare of surprise and then hatred as the kid recognized who it was that possessed the voice. "You... you're Orochimaru's wussy errand boy! You're Kabuto!"

"Why, Naruto-kun, I'm pleased to see that you remembered," said the malevolent one, Kabuto. "I'd give you greetings from Sasuke-kun, but I'd just be giving you false hope... He seems to have only enough room in his thoughts for Orochimaru-sama and his brother."

Keisuke could feel the kid's chakra burning now. To his horror, it was nothing at all like the force that he had seen him muster at the ramen stall; this time, the kid was not only willing to kill, but it seemed almost like he was capable of ripping up half the village to do it. _Something really big is going on here. If the villagers get involved, it could end up being a massacre. I should try to diffuse this as quickly as possible. _Raising his voice over the kid's low growls, Keisuke spoke.

"Oi, Kabuto-san. Your target is the kid, Naruto, right? It looks to me like this could be a pretty destructive conflict. Are you sure you want to do this here, where innocent bystanders could get killed?"

The malicious edge in Kabuto's aura did not dissipate. "Orochimaru-sama wants Naruto-kun either captured or killed as soon as it may be done. Any hesitation on our part could lead to his enemy, Akatsuki, catching him first and extracting the demon, Kyuubi, from him for their own use. This is the most opportune time for us to act, while Jiraiya is occupied, and we will withhold nothing."

To punctuate his words, Kabuto flung a series of knives at the kid, Naruto, who managed to dodge them easily, but whose trajectory carried him into the grasp of a third henchman, who'd hidden himself in the shadow of a nearby alley.

Keisuke made to rush for the captured boy, but he needn't have bothered; Naruto unleashed a surge of chakra that flung his captor away. Unfortunately, this burst of raw power also left a rather large crater in the street. Keisuke felt an urgent need to intervene—if this was allowed to continue, civilian deaths would become a certainty. He began to feed chakra outside his body, extending his percipience, and positioning his power for use. He wished he'd obtained the abilities that he had long, long ago, when it could have served his personal agenda. Unfortunately, he had only recently perfected them and it was useless in that particular cause now... But he'd be damned if he didn't use them to protect this village—and this funny, loudmouthed kid.

Before he could move, though, Naruto had stopped for a moment to re-concentrate his power after his burst, and Kabuto had rushed him in that interval. Orochimaru's servant moved with incredible speed and precision, striking several points in his peripheral nervous system. Keisuke sensed a sort of inversion in the boy's aura, and as he observed, Naruto began to thrash rather wildly, his movements illogical and jerky.

"Don't bother moving anymore, Naruto-kun," said Kabuto, "You'll only hurt yourself. I used a trick that I borrowed from Tsunade. Your movements will be the opposite of the movements that you intend to make. For example, if you wanted to move your left arm forward, your right leg would be what responds. It's a very disconcerting technique, isn't it?" A couple of Kabuto's underlings laughed lightly at this, while others moved in to bind Naruto's arms and legs, and affix what Keisuke thought might be a paper seal to his abdomen. As soon as it touched, Naruto thrashed and gave a painful scream. "That seal absorbs chakra that you generate and focuses it back upon you in the form of an electrical current. If you want to have a relatively comfortable journey, we advise that you keep calm."

Kabuto turned to Keisuke now. "I'd like to thank you for not interfering. You'll be glad to know that with Naruto-kun gone, there will be no further danger to this village." With that, the group leaped to the rooftops and headed out towards the forest to the east of the village.

Keisuke waited until they had cleared the village walls, and then got busy. He wrapped three arms of his extended chakra around himself, digging into his skin. It itched as it sank in, but Keisuke was used to it. When it was finished, he felt the elaborate pattern that the chakra had carved into his skin, felt the power that it gave him. He was able now—he would catch them before they got far.

"Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms—Chisoku no Kokuin!"

> > > > > End Chapter One> > > > > > 

**A/N: **Hoping for more good reviews, but I'll take anything you feel like throwing at me. Next chapter will feature a fight between Keisuke and Kabuto, the (late) return of Jiraiya, and we'll also visit Konoha to see how things are going while Naruto's away.

Ja ne!

**Translations:** If I am incorrect on the translation of any translation, ever, you may shoot me, but I'd prefer that you help me correct my errors, as this is more productive.

**Chisoku Kokuin:** Carved Seal of Speed/Progress. Chisoku is translated as "speed" or "progress" and Kokuin is the word for "carved seal." This is Keisuke's method of wrapping some of his "Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms" around himself tightly, forming an intricate seal that increases his speed.

**Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms: **I have no idea how to translate this, so I'll leave it in English unless some nice person who knows more than I do decides to do it for me.


	3. C2: Nostalgia

** (Updated)A/N:** Fortune smiles upon me; my examinations will not commence for another two weeks, so I have time to bring you chapter two. Once again, I'd like to thank my reviewers, however few they may be... your encouragement and opinions help me out a lot. Without any reviews I may have given up already. :)

**For my Reviewers: **Replies to all of your reviews have been posted in my Lacking Sight Forum, found here:

http/ chapter will contain a little something for Hinata lovers, and will see the end of the battle with Kabuto and Keisuke.

**Chapter 2: Nostalgia**

Hyuuga Hinata was many things. First, she was a ninja from Konohagakure. Secondly and even more importantly, she was a member of the famed Hyuuga clan, and not only that, but she was slated to be the next head of that clan. She was also shy, quiet, and the admirer of her village's number one loudmouth and ramen consumer, Konoha's most surprising ninja, though her shyness and quietness had prevented the way-too-dense boy from knowing anything of it.

But perhaps most importantly of all, at the moment, she was a Chuunin examination student, and she was being rather brutally assaulted by a fellow examinee in the third and final test.

Her opponent was a cloud ninja, native to the village where this year's examination was being held. She had come here knowing next to nothing about the cloud except that they had in the past been some of the Hyuuga's greatest enemies. Now, after being pitted against one in this match, she was beginning to understand why. Hinata's opponent fought in the traditional lightning-nin style, attacking from a distance with a vast arsenal of ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques—many of them involving, predictably, various forms of lightning which Hinata's Byakugan had difficulty detecting in a timely manner—as well as a multitude of throwing weapons. He used taijutsu only when necessary to defend himself from Hinata's close-range counterattacks. Apparently, whoever had taught this boy was well acquainted with the Hyuuga's style.

As a result, Hinata was tired and winded from protecting herself and her charges from multiple ranged attacks, and burned in some places where she had failed to act in time. She was losing her match by four targets. To complete the seemingly hopeless scene, her teammates watching her from the combatants' waiting area were silent... Kiba, who was normally the loudest one on their team, grimaced whenever Hinata suffered another blow, but could offer no helpful cheers in this grim situation. Shino, being Shino, was as impassively quiet as ever, and equally useless. Though they knew that she had improved and strengthened, they didn't believe that she could win this. Not that she was weak—they knew more than anybody how far she had come—but they, like everyone else in this village, believed that this cloud nin was stronger than any other examinee this year.

Hinata didn't blame them, but she still wished that they could have shown a little more faith in her.

Like _he _had.

Reluctantly, she grit her teeth and pushed those thoughts aside; she could not afford them while her life was on the line. She knew that she still had a shot at this, but not if she didn't focus on the battle in front of her.

The lightning ninjas' variant of the final Chuunin test was different from the one in Konoha. In addition to fighting each other, each combatant also had to protect seven targets, which were lined up on their end of the field in a half-circle. The examinees were free to move them around, but it was generally easier to just protect them where they were; the things were so fragile that one might easily crush one in his or her hand by accident. The cloud nin had managed to protect six of his targets, having lost one to Hinata's kunai while temporarily blinded by his own technique, a particularly bright flash of ball lightning. Hinata, though, had lost all but two of her targets to her opponent's precise long-range strikes.

In spite of this, her nindo demanded that she hold herself ready, continue the fight. She refused to give up.

The cloud nin, however, only laughed at her continued determination. "You know that all your will is effectless here, Hyuuga," he said, chuckling to himself as he ran through a set of seals. "I could have simply killed you and been done with it in less than a minute... but fortunately for you, I am not like my barbaric ancestors. Your utter defeat and humiliation will suffice."

With that, the boy ran towards her with five tag-sporting kunai in hand. _He's going to attack head-on!_ Thought Hinata in surprise. All his prior attacks had been executed almost from standoff range... now he was suddenly going to charge her? As Hinata hastily braced herself for a physical assault, the boy surprised her again, leaping over her head and tossing the knives down around her in a pentagon pattern that was several feet across. Hinata turned to face him too late; the boy was already finished with his second set of had seals. Before she could rush to intercept him, he let loose his jutsu.

"Ninpou: Five Treacherous Lightnings!" The five tags attached to the kunai lit up, each one a different color, and spouted multicolored lightning right at Hinata. Faced with no other choice, she countered with her ultimate defense.

"Shugo Hakke: Rokujuuyon Sho!" Hinata flailed her chakra in all directions, and the bolts were deflected, lanced, and dissipated before a single one of them touched her. Not wasting any time, she rushed to intercept her opponent as he made to attack one of her targets... But she was too late yet again. The blast of burning lightning incinerated the flimsy thing milliseconds before she got there. She now had only one target left.

The cloud gennin guffawed. "A worthy effort, and an impressive self-defense, certainly... but I'm afraid it's futile. You are not fast enough to best me. Really, it's better if you just give up now."

Hinata just glared at him, Byakugan eyes in full vein-popping flower, and said, "No."

He chortled again. "'No?' Surely you can't mean to continue... With odds this bad, it's better to just save face and get out before you're humiliated any more. I'm sure your Hyuuga masters wouldn't like you to bring any more shame upon them."

_Don't I know it..._ Hinata thought. Her father had indeed faced her before she had left for the cloud village, explaining point-blank that if she did not come back as a Chuunin, she would no longer be considered for the position of head of the clan.

"Nevertheless," she said, "I swore before the exam... that I would see this through to the end. I don't go back on my word. That is my... my nindo." She cursed herself for faltering at those words. Those words were sacred to her; she shared her nindo with the boy she so admired and loved. Now that she had spoken them, she would do everything in her power to vindicate them.

"I admire your persistence," replied the cloud nin, "But it is past time that I put an end to this... I do have other matches to fight, after all." And he rushed her again, performing the same maneuver that he had employed last time. Hinata was not fast enough to escape, and was caught. She now faced two choices: defend herself and sacrifice the target and the match, or attempt to save the target and potentially kill herself. To any sane person it would have been a no-brainer...

Or so the cloud nin thought. To say that he was surprised to see the white-eyed, blue-haired, and now severely burned Hyuuga right in front of him would have been the worst kind of understatement. Hinata's tired and singed face showed only raw determination as she spoke, and in spite of her injuries, she moved flawlessly as she settled into the stance that few enemies of the Hyuuga lived to tell about.

"Charging in head-on was a mistake. You are in range of my divination."

In the waiting area, Kiba and Shino's eyes widened. They knew what was coming next, and after the way this match had been going, they couldn't quite believe it.

"Jyuuken Move: Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho!"

The lightning nin's face grew white. He had only heard this stance and this technique spoken of by the most seasoned of veterans. Was this what he thought...?

He had no time to think anything more. "Two strikes!" The first two strikes hit him, and he was having trouble recovering for a counter...

"Four Strikes!" The next set hit him, and now he was struggling just to stand.

"Eight Strikes!" The lightning ninja who were watching from the stadium were wondering why their greatest prodigy hadn't halted the Hyuuga's advance yet.

"Sixteen Strikes!" Kiba was now on his feet and yelling himself hoarse.

"Thirty-two Strikes!" By this point, the Hyuuga's repeated attacks were the only things keeping the cloud gennin upright.

"Sixty-four Strikes!" When the assault ceased, his face was in the grass, and all the people of the Village Hidden in the Clouds fell back into their seats with mouths agape. Neither he nor they would rise again for some time.

After about two minutes, the examiner who had presided over the match was the first to find his voice. "The winner by knockout... Hyuuga Hinata!"

Kiba rushed out on to the battleground to congratulate Hinata, Shino not far behind... and immediately jumped back off when six shuriken flew right by his head. He watched with astonishment as they passed and shredded the lightning nin's remaining target dummies. Now it was his turn to gape in awe as the paper-and-straw dummies fell in pieces to the ground. When he recovered, he approached Hinata again—more cautiously this time—and proceeded to complain.

"Geez, Hinata... you didn't need to do that, you already won the match! And you could have taken my head off!"

Hinata, though, was not quite all there. "Naruto-kun," she mumbled, "I did it..."

Hyuuga Hinata was many things. First, she was the victor of this match. Secondly, and even more importantly, she would leave the cloud village as a Chuunin. She was also strong, determined, and in love with the world's number-one loudest and most surprising ninja, Uzumaki Naruto, though he had been gone a year and would be gone perhaps two more.

And now, she was passed out from her injuries and her exertions, face down on the same grass as her defeated opponent.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Kabuto's smile was plastered to his face like white on fresh snow. His men held the struggling Kyuubi container securely, and already they were miles away from the village where his guardian, Jiraiya, was no doubt still conducting his "research." Orochimaru had planned this months in advance; he knew that his old friend the Toad Sennin, being the pervert he was, wouldn't be able to resist stopping in the hot spring capital of the water country at least once. He had stationed advance sentries nearby to warn Kabuto of their approach, and to be ready to capture or kill Naruto at the first opportunity. Capture was preferable, of course; Orochimaru would love to be able to play with the boy before he killed him, and was sure that young Sasuke wouldn't mind some fun either.

It had gone perfectly. With Jiraiya occupied, there had been nothing to stop them. They were a mere week away from the Snake Sennin's current hideout, and once the Kyuubi brat was safely there, the last of Sasuke's old friends would be gone, and with it all of Sasuke's inhibitions. For while Naruto still lived, Orochimaru knew that his student would never reach the full potential that he wanted for his next vessel. As it was, the boy spent too much time staring off into the horizon... always in the direction of his old home. Orochimaru couldn't have that. Once Naruto was dead, that focus-sapping habit would stop.

And who knew? Maybe young Sasuke would work up the nerve to do it himself... perhaps unlocking the fabled Mangekyou Sharingan that Itachi possessed and Orochimaru craved. Even Kabuto shivered a little, thinking of the power of those eyes.

Well, first things first. And the first thing that had to happen was for them to take Naruto to the lair. It shouldn't have been that hard... In fact, victory seemed almost assured at this point, thus explaining why the grin was stuck on Kabuto's face like white on fresh snow.

Little did Kabuto know, they had neglected the one factor that might have turned that snow from white to a very unpleasant yellow.

A strangled shout from the back of the group caught Kabuto's attention. Halting and turning around, he watched as the sound nin who was carrying the Kyuubi kid struggled to get his legs free of the large sheet of ice that encased not only him, but much of the surrounding soil and vegetation. The man had barely enough time to gasp out "What the..." before a large, blunt object collided with his head and a detonation of bright chakra ripped him free of the ice and smashed him into a nearby tree.

When Kabuto recovered his vision after the burst of light, he realized that the blond kid the man had been holding had gone missing while he was blinded. After a moment of bewildered silence, he turned to his remaining henchman.

"Find the Kyuubi kid, quickly! Orochimaru-sama won't be pleased if we miss this chance.

"No," said a voice from the trees, "I expect he won't be."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Keisuke's tone was a low, quiet, matter-of-fact drone, in stark contrast to his usual lively timbre. It was a tone that he preferred to use often in serious conflicts with dangerous opponents. Having never known intimidation by sight, he had learned very early the ways in one might be intimidated by sound, and particularly by voice. For good measure, he removed his sunglasses; he knew that his lack of eyes made some people uncomfortable.

He went on, "I'm sorry for not clarifying my intentions in our previous encounter. However, I think it's fair, since you didn't exactly announce yours before you assaulted the boy." Keisuke indicated Naruto, with his bonds cut, who was now working to re-coordinate his mind and muscles with all his will. Keisuke had pulled him from the ice trap after his throw had detonated, and had freed him from the ropes. He had no knowledge to undo Kabuto's medical technique, but it looked as though it was wearing off; Naruto's movements were becoming less awkward. It would be a while, though. Keisuke would have to fight off the boy's attackers until then.

He removed his vest and overshirt, leaving him in a white undershirt which covered much less skin, freeing the arms of chakra underneath to do their work along with the others. He extended them to their full range, and felt his range of sensitivity increase tenfold. He couldn't help but smirk... since he had acquired this ability, he had become the most perceptive blind man to walk this world. _ Might as well take the offensive while they're still confused,_ he thought. _Better be careful, though... I used up four threads already with that ice trap. _Leaping towards the pack of stunned sound nins, Keisuke wrapped some chakra arms into himself.

"Insotsu Kokuin: Kasai!" (Commanding Carved Seal: Conflagration)

Violent flames erupted from the shining red seal that had formed on Keisuke's skin which, combined with his empty eye sockets, gave him the appearance of some kind of hell-spawn as he came. Apparently his intimidation tactics were working; one sound ninja tripped over himself as he tried to move out of the way. Another one forgot all reason and just charged him with a long katana, which Keisuke sidestepped before burying his burning fist in the man's stomach, causing him to hit the ground with a satisfying thud.

Keisuke didn't stay put to watch him roll around on the ground while his clothing burned away—he had the remaining two henchmen to worry about. These two were smarter; one of them attempted to keep him busily in short-range combat, while the other tried to strike him with ninjutsu from afar. _Undoubtedly better than those other two,_ he observed, _but if they believe I'm too blind to recognize this kind of maneuver, then they're still pretty stupid. _ Keisuke grappled with the first one long enough to let the second one aim his shot, then dropped to the ground, swept his opponent's legs out from beneath him, and dispatched him with a well-placed backhanded blow to the face, which sent him careening into the same tree as his first fallen comrade with his head aflame.

Then he waited for the second enemy's attack to come. He didn't wait long. One well-timed Kawarimi no jutsu later, he was back in the trees, and an unfortunate chunk of wood was blasted to splinters. Releasing his Kokuin, he reached his chakra arms out to feel for his enemies. _Yep, _he thought, _he's still there, watching for me. This one's probably a decent Chuunin... nowhere near strong enough for me, though. Now, that other one, the med-nin... he might be a problem. But I'd best finish the small fry first... maybe once the medic sees his flunkies on the ground he'll puss out. _

Concentrating, he used his chakra arms to make the seals for one of his favorite jutsus.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Kabuto watched intently as the blind man made complete fools out of the sound Chuunin team. It was rare for him to witness such unique power. He'd seen Orochimaru give cursed seals to numerous victims in the past, but never before had he seen seals carve _themselves_ into someone's skin before. Most likely it was some form of Bloodline Limit technique that Orochimaru had yet to discover. If it was, then the Snake Sennin would be very interested to know about it. An even better outcome would be the capture of this eyeless wonder, but if that were not feasible, then his death would be enough.

He observed as the blind man jumped out at his last remaining underling, who, being the most capable of the lot, managed to turn quickly enough to land a hit. But, as soon as he did, the blind man's clone detonated, and the last remaining sound Chuunin became a burned, bloody heap. _Interesting technique. A bomb-clone,_ Kabuto thought. _As clever and devastating as it was for that poor idiot, it had to use up quite a bit of chakra... our blind friend should be pretty winded. _

Hell, he didn't even need to waste time looking for him... the fool had already stepped out into the open. 

> > > > > > > > > 

Keisuke didn't want to waste time playing hide-and-seek. His bomb clone had burned a nice hole in the forest floor... he hoped that this was enough to scare the creep away, but it helped to be physically present rather than to hide while playing the intimidation game.

"If you're anywhere near the level of your flunkies there, you're not going to last very long," he said. "Do you still mean to fight me?"

In answer, Kabuto smirked, drew kunai, and flung them with surgical precision at Keisuke's heart, forehead, lungs, and stomach. Keisuke felt them coming, siezed the one coming for his head, and used it to deflect the ones aimed at his heart and lungs. But as he sidestepped the knife that was bound for his gut, he felt the med-nin rush forward... just a little too quickly for his liking. No doubt about it, this one was definitely better than his underlings.

"Shit..." he re-formed his conflagration seal, sent the flames out along all of his remaining extended arms, and spun himself like a top. "Kasai Kaiten!" (Conflagration Whirl) The spinning blaze that resulted made Kabuto balk just as he came within range and then leap away.

"Very interesting. If I hadn't been on my toes I might have been cooked. But you're out of luck. You won't be able to walk straight for a while."

_Eh? _Keisuke thought, _but he didn't hit me..._ He turned out to be wrong. Kabuto's scalpel technique had hit just before his flames had. He sank to his knees, unable to balance correctly.

Kabuto smirked again. "I have cut one of the tendons in your right leg," he said. "You'll find movement to be complicated." With that, the med-nin began slowly advancing. He would be able to catch this one after all. Orochimaru would be very happy.

Yet his smirk was short-lived. Keisuke's own smirk was plastered on his face as he mouthed, "Release!" and swept a chakra-pumped arm over the seal that was hidden in the leaves below Kabuto's feet. Instantly, the ground below the med-nin's feet imploded, dragging him waist-deep into the earth.

"RASENGAN!"

Keisuke watched as the boy, Naruto, whom both combatants had forgotten, leap from a tree and slam his orb of swirling chakra into Kabuto's side. Not even four feet of solid earth could prevent Kabuto from being flung several yards backwards.

"How's that, you pansy!" Yelled Naruto from his perch on the branch. Keisuke couldn't help but smile—the kid was definitely unique. He'd been planning on finishing the "pansy" himself, but he supposed it was better this way... the kid deserved some payback after that humiliation. And that was also one seriously cool jutsu he had used.

Climbing up onto one knee, Keisuke took on his low droning voice once more. "The odds are two to one in our favor now," he said. To add effect, he re-formed his conflagration Kokuin, causing the flames to once again burn from his skin. He looked positively satanic as he asked the medical ninja, "Will you yield?"

Kabuto's face betrayed his dismay. In response, he ran through the seals for his escape jutsu, and disappeared.

Keisuke dropped his seal and sighed. This whole mess was obviously far more complicated than he had thought. Even so, it didn't stop him from smiling as he turned to the kid and said, "Glad to see you're back in shape, kid. I've changed my opinion of you."

The blond boy flashed a foxy grin back at him. "You've changed my opinion, too, sunglasses-freak. That was some pretty cool stuff out there."

"I have a name, you know," Keisuke said, slight annoyance not breaking his smile, "It's Keisuke, not sunglasses-freak."

"Hey, I'm the great Uzumaki Naruto-sama, the future Hokage! I'll call you whatever I want!"

Both of them just stared at each other for a time, staring each other down. Then it seemed that a mutual revelation occurred between the two, and both of their jaws dropped in surprise. Naruto's eyes grew wider than they had in months, and Keisuke's brows arched higher than they had in years.

"Uzumaki Naruto..."

"Keisuke..."

"NARUTO!" A bruised, battered, and winded Jiraiya, sporting numerous palm-prints, made his way into the decimated copse of trees, carrying two packs, one of which he dropped by Naruto's side.

"Naruto! I thought you got away from me for a minute there. I suppose I should have told you that I'd be out researching a bit late, should have given you something to do... hey, Naruto, are you listening? I'm trying to apologize here!"

Jiraiya stared at the pair of them, waiting for them to speak as they sat with those astonished looks plastered on their faces like yellow on snow that a dog has just visited. "Hey, you guys... you look like you've just been visited by ghosts."

> > > > > > > > > END CHAPTER TWO> > > > > > > > 

**A/N: **And so ends chapter two. Throw all the criticism or praise at me that you think I deserve. Remember: Reviews help make future chapters much much better. ;D

Chapter three will see Jiraiya get a royal kick in the ass from his student, as well as advance the plot slightly. In the meantime, help me out by reviewing so that I can correct any mistakes in this chapter.

Thanks again!


	4. C3: Brothers

**A/N: **Wow, a lot of nice reviews on that last one. Thanks, people. :D Just like last time, responses to your reviews will be posted in my forum.

It's my great pleasure to present chapter three for your enjoyment and dissection. Nowhere near the action of the last chapter, but with a good deal more plot... No, I'm not telling Keisuke's whole story quite yet, sorry guys. I promise I'll get to it eventually. For now, have fun imagining Jiraiya in a full-body cast...

Warning: Mild Jiraiya-Bashing(LOL)

**Chapter 3: Brothers**

Until recently, the man known as Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sennin, had been proud to say that only once in his life had he come near to death. Admittedly, it was sort of pathetic that he had allowed a woman to beat him to within an inch of his life, but hey, Tsunade wasn't your normal woman. He'd thought he'd regained some measure of dignity by forcing the title of Hokage on her...

However, for Jiraiya, dignity was an elusive and fickle thing, which was why the Toad Sennin had spent the last week in a hospital bed, unconscious, his dignity ground to dust once again. This time, a fourteen-year-old kid—his own apprentice, to boot—had beaten him into a sack of broken bones and bruised organs. He was awake now, but he suspected that he wouldn't be functioning normally for quite a while. Silently, he cursed the day that he had embraced the God of Perversion.

"Ah, are you awake now, Jiraiya-san?"

The Toad Sennin's neck, thankfully, had not been critically injured, and so he was able to turn his head to see the man who sat beside his bed. He was tall, wore black and green, and sported a pair of dark sunglasses, though they were indoors and the curtains had been drawn over the windows. Jiraiya stirred the soup that had once been his brain. _Damn you, Kyuubi, Naruto..._ Then he found a name to match the face before him.

"Keisuke of the Grave..."

The man in sunglasses grinned. "I'm pleased to see you remembered. We last met maybe four years ago, and only briefly at that. If memory serves, then you are one of these three Sennin that people whisper about, right?"

Jiraiya grunted in assent.

Keisuke continued his questioning. "Naruto tells me that you are on an extended training journey, and that you're supposed to be supervising him... right?"

This time Jiraiya spoke. "Yeah... listen, my memory's a little hazy, what happened?"

Keisuke nodded and launched into his tale. "You've been hospitalized for about six days now. You suffered four broken ribs, two broken legs, a compound fracture in your left arm, a concussion... You get the idea. Basically, Naruto steamrolled your ass."

Jiraiya grimaced. _Yeah, I'll bet he did..._

"I'm impressed that you're still alive, considering that you looked a little battered when you found us. Fruits of your 'research,' maybe, Jiraiya?" Keisuke gave a small laugh.

The Toad Sennin gave another grunt. "Get on with it. What did Naruto _do_?"

Keisuke's face became very serious, making Jiraiya grimace again. "I'm not entirely sure myself, and Naruto-kun doesn't remember much. I'll tell you what I do know: Naruto was beyond angry that you had abandoned him to be captured for the sake of your perverted 'research,' and attacked you. You were able to repel him easily for a while, but as Naruto became still angrier, I felt a dangerous chakra emanate from him, and his aura changed, so that it seemed he wasn't himself anymore, but something wild and destructive, bent on your demise."

Jiraiya felt the blood drain from his face, and he shivered a bit involuntarily. "Kyuubi..." Since when had Naruto been able to release that much of the demon's power?

Keisuke's eyebrows arched in recognition. "I've heard that name. Naruto mentioned it when I asked him about his change in aura, but refused to go into detail about it. From what I've felt of it, I think it's probably a demonic power, but I want to hear it from you, his sensei... What is the chakra that Naruto used that day, and what is 'Kyuubi?'"

Realizing that it couldn't be helped, Jiraiya told him.

"I see," said Keisuke, "That's a pretty serious burden on a young kid. You realize that this might end up going very, very wrong in a multitude of places, don't you?"

"Yeah," grunted Jiraiya, "But I think—and Tsunade does as well—that the Yondaime knew what he was doing that night. Naruto hasn't let Kyuubi escape in all his fourteen years, and we believe he has the strength and determination to hold him for a few decades more, if not for the rest of his life."

"Well," said Keisuke, "It's good that somebody has faith in him... when I first met Naruto, there was hardly a soul in the world that would even look at him. I'm glad."

Keisuke rose from his seat and began moving to the door. "I have as much faith in the kid as you do. I think I'll enjoy running around with you two."

Jiraiya tried to raise his head from the pillow, but his spine protested, and he collapsed back onto it. His gasp of pain was out before he could stop it, and Keisuke's ear turned toward him.

"Something wrong, Jiraiya-san?" he asked with a small smirk.

"Hold it," Jiraiya grated, "You can't come with us. We don't have money to feed you, and having more people draws more attention, which we don't want..."

"Is that so?" Keisuke said. His smile became wide to a degree which made Jiraiya very, very uncomfortable. "If that's it, then I'll be leaving at once. Naruto asked me to deliver a message to the Godaime Hokage..."

"All right!" Jiraiya yelled, "You're in, just don't... don't go to Tsunade with this. You definitely don't want to do that."

Keisuke laughed and walked out the door. _Or maybe, _he thought, _YOU don't want me to do that, eh, Jiraiya?_

_> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _

The bathtub was incredibly filthy. _Then again, you'd expect it to be, with that kid running around sticking his nose in everywhere,_ Keisuke thought. Through his extended arms of chakra and the complete tuning-out of his other senses, he could feel the parts where filth had adhered to the porcelain. They were large and numerous, and probably would have revolted Keisuke if he were able to see them. Fortunately, though, he wasn't.

Concentrating, he wound a single thread around his right forearm, forming a small portion of his commanding seal. He left the rest of his arms extended into the bathtub so that they could continue to feel out his targets.

"Insotsu Kokuin: Kasai!" The seal glowed red and his right hand immolated itself in brilliant orange flame. After making sure that the fire wasn't in danger of lighting up the shower curtain or his clothing, Keisuke set his hand to the first blotch on the porcelain surface. It was difficult to find the right heat and intensity for his flame, at first, but he'd been practicing for a few years now; within a minute, he had it, and the blotch began to burn away.

"Keisuke-nii-chan? What are you doing down there?"

Keisuke didn't withdraw his hand, but moved one of his arms over to confirm that the speaker was indeed Naruto. "Hey, kid. Finally got bored of blasting stumps and rocks apart?"

Naruto grinned wide. "No point in keeping it up, since I already have the technique down pat," he said. "I can do the Rasengan one-handed now." He beamed with palpable pride, and Keisuke was sure that if he were any more full of himself, he might explode.

_Ah, well, let him enjoy his little victory. Not every day you master a complicated jutsu like that._

"Oi, did Ero-Sennin try to run you off?"

"Yeah, and he failed, just like you said he would. This Tsunade must be damn scary if he caved at the mere mention of her..."

Both men grinned, and Keisuke put a noticeable measure of enthusiasm to his work. It hadn't been long, but they were quickly growing into good friends. Perhaps the fact that Keisuke had given Jiraiya an extra kick while he'd been sleeping had won him more favor with the boy, but whatever the cause, Keisuke welcomed the kid's good favor; it wasn't often that one was able to befreind such a unique person.

"So, Keisuke-nii-chan, what _are _you doin' down there? The hotel can clean its own bathrooms, ya know."

"I know they can, kid, but that's not all I'm doing. This is a little control exercise."

"Oh, really? Howzat?"

Keisuke pushed his sunglasses back up on his face and wiped some sweat with his free hand. "The Kokuin seal technique has to be pretty rigidly controlled, or it can be as dangerous for friendlies as it is for enemies. Cleaning the bathroom may look simple, but it's got a lot of value for training in control. If the fire is too intense, you'll damage the bathtub. Too mellow, and the best you'll do is make a dirty sludge."

"Hey, Keisuke?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're trying to learn control so that you can kick a person's ass, then why are you training on mud? Isn't that kinda half-assed?"

Keisuke sighed. As entertaining as the kid was, Naruto had plenty of moments where his slow comprehension skills made him less than good company. "Actually, Naruto, it's more effective than it looks. When you first learned Rasengan, which did you learn first: How to control the spin or how to blow stuff up with an overload of chakra?"

Naruto's aura went into a state that Keisuke recognized immediately, though he'd only known Naruto for a short while. Naruto's brain was actually working to put two and two together.

After a while, he said, "You're right, I did learn to control the spin first. How'd you know that, Keisuke-nii-chan?"

Keisuke simply said, "Instinct. Anyway, practicing on dirt is underrated. Nobody cares if you burn it up, and power is easy to use once you've got control down. Granted, some techniques are meant to blow up big stuff, but most things can be mastered like this. Crawl before you learn to run, kid."

"Heh, I think I see what you mean, nii-chan." Keisuke smiled. Naruto wasn't the brightest bulb in the world, but it seemed that he was starting to learn his lessons a little easier. At least, he was a far cry from the obscenely loud little kid he had met back in Konoha. "Hey, Keisuke, think you could teach me how to do it? That seal thing?"

Now Keisuke stopped and drew his hand out, releasing the seal. He heaved a second sigh as the flames dissipated. He'd been anticipating this question, but still wasn't exactly sure how to answer it. He rose from the floor and walked outside the bathroom, motioning for Naruto to follow.

"Hey, hey, I asked you a question!" he said, and a confused frown spread on his face, but he followed without question.

Keisuke endured his prodding and poking until they reached a seemingly deserted outcropping. The hospital where Jiraiya was now staying was up in a mountain township, bordered on one side by a forest where the inhabitants hunted, on two sides by barren rock and by a sheer cliff on the east side, from which one would definitely be expected to never return. They were now in a rocky field on the mountainous south side, and it was a safe bet that they would neither hurt anything nor be discovered while they were there.

Turning to face Naruto, Keisuke reached an invisible arm towards the kid, brushing his shoulder.

"Close your eyes, kid."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Naruto did so.

"Can you feel that? Your right shoulder?"

"It tickles," said Naruto. "Is that chakra?"

"Yeah, it is."

"But you're fifty feet away from me."

"Yep."

"So how are you making it reach that far?"

Keisuke's face had a slightly distant look as he explained, "It's one of sixty-four arms of chakra that I can reach outside my body. Each arm starts at one of my inner coils' tenketsus, and can reach about sixty feet out. They work just like a second set of inner chakra coils; they send chakra where I need it to go, when I want it to go there, but these are external and mobile, and so they can have more and different uses from the actual inner coils."

Naruto just stared for a moment as he absorbed all of this, and Keisuke took his silence as invitation to continue. "Collectively, they're called the Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms. They're what I use to perform my Kokuin seals and some other useful techniques. It has a fair amount of limitations, so it's not all-powerful, but it's definitely got a lot of utility—especially for someone who can't see. All those arms are great feelers."

The blond gennin's aura perked up as he recognized the name of the skill he'd wanted to learn. "So, Keisuke, d'you think I can learn it!"

Keisuke's face betrayed nothing. "That's just it, kid... I don't know yet."

"Eh!"

"The thing is, I'm the only one I know who's been able to use the Ghostly Arms since I learned to do it seven years ago."

"Huh? So... is it a Kekkai Genkai jutsu? A bloodline limit?"

"Like I said, I don't know. I'm the only one that I know who can do it, and neither of my sons could ever use it. For all I know, it could be an ability unique to me, or it could be something that anyone could learn. Or, as you say, it might be a blood limit. There's no way to tell."

"Aww," whined Naruto, "But, if nii-chan had a blood limit, it would be really awesome."

"Hey, buck up. We haven't ruled it out yet, kid. And I've still got more to say."

"Huh? What?"

"This might sound kind of far-fetched... but I only became aware that the Arms even existed about a month after I met you in Konoha. After you let me borrow some of your blood."

Naruto's aura took on a tinge of surprise, and then his gears started turning.

"So... you're saying you got this power from me?"

"It's only an idea," said Keisuke. "Normally, swapping blood with somebody who has a Kekkai Genkai doesn't get you a special ability. But I'm..." Keisuke trailed off, searching for the right words, "Not one of those who fall in the 'normal' category, and neither are you, really, having a demon in you. It could be that some abnormal quality in either your blood or mine made a power that was latent in you stick and flourish in me. Who knows, really? The odds don't favor it, but you just might actually have some kind of blood-specific jutsu."

Keisuke felt Naruto's aura take on a determined tone as he came to a conclusion.

"So, Keisuke-nii-chan," he said, "If my blood and my power stuck itself in you, then that makes us kinda like brothers, doesn't it?"

Now it was Keisuke's turn to be surprised. He hadn't expected that at all. _But, if you think about it, it does sort of make sense..._

Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "Alright! I'm going to learn this ghost's sixty-fourth arm thing! Keisuke-nii-chan, let's give it a shot!"

Once again, Naruto's infectious energy got hold of Keisuke's mouthparts before Keisuke himself did. _Crazy kid,_ he thought, _never had a real family in all his life, small wonder he's jumping at the chance to find a brother in me. I wonder how many 'brothers' he's made at home..._

_> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _

From behind a tall formation of rocks, the woman watched the two young men, white eyes narrow with focus, veins popping around their sockets. She had seen them enter the village, carrying the bloody pulp that was the legendary Toad Sennin to the local hospital. She had watched the young blond loiter at ramen stalls and public parks all over town, making more noise than was polite and working himself half to death with his training. Occasionally, she had observed flashes of a chakra in him that was not his own, not even human. And now, she had witnessed this blind man demonstrate a manipulation of chakra that only the adult Hyuuga could recognize and hadn't seen in fourteen years.

If what she had just seen was what she thought it was, then the main Hyuuga Clan needed to know immediately. Silently, she hastened away from the outcropping and back to the village, where her courier was ready.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Hinata sank onto the stool at Ichiraku's and exhaled deeply before ordering a miso ramen. She had been coming here once or twice a week lately for various declared reasons; relaxing after a long day of training, unwinding after a mission, chatting with Ayame-san, trying out the new recipe that Ichiraku Teuchi-san had created... They were numerous, these excuses.

Though in many cases, her interest in the new flavors was genuine and she really did enjoy talking to Ichiraku's daughter, and the ramen was often an effective relaxant, Hinata's original reason for coming here was always beneath it all, and from the way the kind ramen cook and his daughter flashed knowing looks in her direction whenever she walked in, it showed.

Hinata missed him. She knew that he was in good hands with Jiraiya-sama, that he was working his hardest to become stronger, just like her, but still she missed him. And no matter how hard she tried to act like nothing was wrong, no matter how kindly her father had acted towards her after she became a Chuunin, no matter how hard her teammates and Kurenai-sensei tried to give her other things to think about, she couldn't stop herself from coming here to relive in her head all those things that he said and did that made her weak, made her strong, made her stutter and faint, and then made her rise against the odds to fight again. He was a part of her life that she could never shed, and though she could live on in his absence, there was a void in her that yearned to go back to the day he had left, and pull him back into it.

And as Ayame put her order before her, she couldn't help but turn her thoughts to the less pleasant possibilities—the things that might go wrong, might make him want to never return, might make him want to rush after Uchiha Sasuke prematurely and get himself captured and tortured, or killed...

Hinata mentally slapped herself, grabbed her chopsticks, and broke into her ramen. That wasn't going to happen. Naruto-kun wasn't _that_ stupid, and even if he were, he'd persevere and find a way to win. At least, she hoped so. She thought so...

_Oh, look at me, _she thought, _worrying over terrible things that definitely won't happen... except they could..._ She stopped eating and put her head in her hands, trying to get a grip.

"Hinata-chan?" came a voice from behind her, "What's wrong? You look really upset."

Hinata turned in her seat and greeted the pink-haired medical ninja trainee respectfully. "Konichiwa, Sakura-san..."

"You don't need to be so polite with me, Hinata-chan. We were classmates, remember?"

"H-hai, Sakura-chan."

"So, what's bothering you?"

"Oh... nothing..."

Sakura grinned a little. "It couldn't be... Naruto, could it?"

As Sakura had predicted, Hinata went red and stuttered. "N-not really..." Yep, this shy girl was still in love with her blond teammate.

"Right... and who else are you coming here to have naughty daydreams about? Kiba?" Sakura knew that it was somewhat mean, but teasing Hinata over this was more than a little fun. And it was one way to get her talking truth.

"N-no! Kiba-kun has nothing to do with..."

"Okay, okay, calm down, Hinata-chan! It was a joke!" She watched as the blue-haired Hyuuga huddled into herself and looked down at her unfinished ramen. Hinata's defenses were broken—now was the time to strike at the heart of the problem. "So, you really are worried about Naruto, then?"

Hinata sighed, resigning herself to her fate. "No... I mean, I'm not worried about _him_, really. I know he'll be safe with one of the Sennin watching him, but..."

Sakura waited for her to finish. However tough she was physically—which, in recent times, was very, very tough—the girl was fragile when it came to Naruto, and patience was required if one was to get a coherent response.

"Sakura-chan... there are so many things that can go wrong and... what if he rushes into something and is killed or captured? What if he finds something outside the village that makes him want to _stay_ outside? Or... what if he does come back and he... and he..."

"Isn't the same?" Sakura suggested. "Or, worse yet... remains as dense as ever, and never notices you?"

Hinata gave a nod. Sakura had hit it right on the head.

"I can empathize with you, Hinata. I know what it's like when someone important to you, who practically means the world to you, goes away to follow his own path, find his own strength." Indeed, she did know. The incident would be burned into her memory for as long as she lived. "I know how it hurts... but I also know that, in the long run, there really isn't much you can do about it except fight through it."

Hinata stared. _Uchiha Sasuke... Sakura is like me._

"Of course, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't wonder where he is now, what he's going through, or if there was really anything I could have done differently," she went on, "But what's done is done. If he ever returns to this village—forced or not—I'm not sure what will happen. If I never see him again, though... At least I'll die with the good memories of him that I still have. I can keep going on that. And..."

She paused, putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Naruto _did_ promise that he'd bring him back. I think I can put a little faith in that. Naruto always keeps his promises."

"_I stick to what I say and I don't change it. That's my nindo!"_

Hinata smiled, remembering that. Yes, Naruto did always keep his promises.

"If you ask me, he'll be the same old Naruto when he gets back." Sakura said. "He'll be dense, sure... but then again, you've changed quite a bit, haven't you, Hinata-chan? Stronger, prettier... he'd have to be ten times as stupid as he is not to notice you now."

Hinata smiled. "Arrigatou, Sakura-chan."

"Not a problem. Just remember that even though it hurts sometimes without him, it never hurts to have a little faith and to be grateful for what you've had in the past."

As Sakura turned to leave, she said over her shoulder, "And if he doesn't notice you at all when he gets back, I'll punch him into next century, the big idiot..."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

That evening, Hyuuga Hiashi sat in his garden, reading a letter that had arrived from a contact in faraway lands.

_**Hiashi-sama,**_

_**One week prior to the sending of this letter, three unusual travelers entered my village of residence. One of them was the Toad Sennin, Jiraiya, who was at the time badly injured and is even now still recovering in the local hospital. The second traveler was a young blond Konoha gennin who, on closer inspection, proved to be the container of the demon Kyuubi, and has demonstrated repeatedly his ability to manipulate Kyuubi's chakra almost at will. My eyes can see no weakening in the seal upon him, but I am of the opinion that this should be investigated further. I should like to think that you don't want a human bomb returning to Konoha.**_

_**It is the third traveler, however, which concerns me the most. He resembles the description of the blind man that visited you seven years ago, the one that the branch house tried and failed to apprehend, and he shares the same name as that man. Today, my Byakugan eyes witnessed him demonstrate a power that we have not seen in over fourteen years, since the Kyuubi was sealed. He names it the "Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms," but if I am right, it is the same power that nearly undid the whole Hyuuga hierarchy when I was a young girl. I believe that he intends to teach this power to the Kyuubi boy.**_

_**The travelers will be here a while longer while Jiraiya recovers. I have left Konoha, but I am not able to stand by and simply let this pass, knowing that I may have let a potential threat to both Konoha and the Hyuuga Clan go free. Please advise me on what to do next. **_

_**--Hyuuga Haruka, **_

_**--Independent member of the Branch House**_

> > > > > > > > > > > End Chapter Three> > > > > > > > > > > 

**A/N: **Phew. That one was a bit hard to write. Aside from writing Hinata, who I'm uncomfortable enough with writing, I felt compelled, for my subconscious's inscrutable reasons, to throw in Sakura, who I'm even less experienced and even more uneasy with. And to top it off, it looks like I've created another OC. Great going, eh? I'm going to have lots more work to do next chapter...

ANYWAY... Please help me work out any kinks in this chapter by reading and reviewing. As before, I will respond to your reviews in my forum.

Next chapter, we will watch as Jiraiya fights to regain the trust of his student, and our favorite blind ninja puts Naruto to the test, among other things. May take a little longer to write the next one as I try to figure out the new OC's role in future chapters.

Ja ne!


	5. C4: Loathing, Part One

**A/N:** Surprise! Bonus Chapter w00t w00t. I actually had the skeleton for this chapter written last night, and as I have managed to escape my job this evening, I was able to write Chapter Four ahead of schedule.

Once again, thanks for the reviews last time. You know where to find the replies.

Chapter 4: Loathing, Part One

The Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms was, according to Keisuke, one of those techniques that required tremendous inner focus just to awaken it. To a blind man, who could not perceive the physical world around him and had no place to turn his mental gaze except inward, such focus might not have been terribly difficult to muster. However, to a fourteen-year-old prankster-turned-ninja, whose eyes and mouth were constantly open, it could turn out to be nigh impossible, as Naruto was in the process of finding out.

"Ragh. Keisuke, they're not coming out..."

The blind man observed from about ten yards away, feeling out Naruto's aura for signs of progress. So far he had caught none, but Keisuke wasn't near ready to give up yet. If Naruto could indeed use the Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms, then Keisuke would have the opportunity to teach him alongside Jiraiya, which, in light of the Ero-Sennin's recent mistakes, sounded like a pretty good idea.

"Easy, Naruto. We haven't even been at it for twenty minutes. You want to give up already?"

"Hell no!" Naruto said, "I said I'd do this, and I'm not stopping 'til I get results."

"That's the way, kid." Keisuke nodded. This was the kind of spirit that he'd come to expect from the boy. Like his abundant energy, it was contagious; it made him want to see a success. "Keep at it. It took me a month of blundering my way through all kinds of hellish terrain before those feelers sprouted, and I'm older than you are. We don't know how the age difference will affect the speed at which you can use this thing."

"Heh. You just watch, I'll make it work by next week!"

Keisuke smiled widely. "You do that, Naruto, and I'll buy thirty bowls from Ichiraku's for you when we get home." _Of course, that'll never happen, but it will be good incentive to focus harder._

"You're making it a bet, nii-chan?" Naruto asked. "That's the same mistake Tsunade-baa-chan made. You sure you can afford it?"

Keisuke waited a moment before answering. Wasn't Tsunade the Fifth Hokage? Naruto had won a bet with the strongest ninja in Konoha? He wondered if he should have been intimidated by Naruto's statement as he said, "Sure I can. Are you going to practice or what?"

When he felt Naruto become more jubilant than he'd ever perceived, he began to feel as though he should have been. "All right! Keisuke nii-chan, you're going to be at the ramen stall all day when we get back!" With that, he settled down onto the ground, eyes closed in deep concentration.

_Why do I get the feeling that he's going to be right?_ Keisuke thought. Then he stopped worrying about whether or not his wallet would survive and put his attention back on the boy. Even if he did end up flat broke, it would be worth it if Naruto could learn to use this technique. Putting on a serious face, he returned to instructing Naruto.

"Tune out all your senses, and feel into yourself. The inner coils system is a hugely complex thing. Even if you searched it for years, you couldn't map it all. It will take time to find your tenketsus, and even more time to coax out the Ghostly Arms from them."

Naruto didn't say anything. Whether he was focused on his inner coils, on thoughts of his free thirty bowls of ramen, or both, Keisuke could not tell. The master of the Ghostly Arms swept feelers over his aura, seeking out the places where his chakra was most concentrated, judging his progress, offering encouragement and guidance where he could. It was a tedious process, yet they continued it for several hours. For their separate reasons, both of them really wanted to see this work.

Finally, when the sun sank below the horizon leaving them with no solid results, Keisuke called a halt.

"I think we can leave it at that today, Naruto."

Naruto, having been silent in concentration for a record seven hours, did not hesitate to voice his annoyance. "Damn it," he said, "I didn't get anywhere today..."

"Like I said, kid, we don't have any idea how long it could take. The best you can do is to keep trying a little bit every day and hope that you find it."

Naruto glanced up at the full moon. The white orb reflected in his blue eyes like an island of hope in an ocean of obstacles. As they approached the gates of the village, he vowed, "I'll do better than that," he said. "I'm gonna get this thing down in a week if it kills me!"

Keisuke chuckled a little. "Well, hopefully it won't go quite that far, eh? I'm sure there are people in Konoha that'd like to have you back someday..."

"Ah, don't worry about it! If I can survive Ero-Sennin's torture, I can survive anything!"

"Hey, it's not that bad!"

Naruto spun around. The Toad Sennin stood before him, heavily bandaged but mobile. Beside him, Keisuke began to get a little nervous; was Naruto anywhere near ready to forgive his supposed "master?"

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto shouted. "Who the hell d'you think you are, trying to pass off having my ass handed to me all day and every day, almost dying about fifty times, going weeks at a time without any food or sleep... you think you can pass that off as _not that bad_?"

Jiraiya, prideful moron that he was, countered. "It was all for the sake of your training, Naruto! You just said you were ready to give your life for the sake of your training. Besides, haven't you been improving from all I've put you through? Aren't you stronger now than you were before we left?"

Naruto's voice was a low growl as he questioned, "Strong enough to take seven Sound on my own, no backup?"

Keisuke, knowing what was coming next, stepped aside. Hopefully, Jiraiya would just take his lumps this time. A dislocation was better than a week-long stay in the hospital any day. And, perverted though he was, the Toad Sennin was a fair instructor in ninjutsu, so Naruto would eventually regret killing him. The menacing chakra that was radiating off the boy, while much more mellow than last time, was certainly capable of doing a good deal of damage to the still-tender Jiraiya.

"Well," Jiraiya said, "Not yet, obviously, but..."

"Jiraiya-san?" Keisuke interrupted him.

"What?"

"Have the doctors cleared you for running yet?"

"Well..."

"Start running, Ero-Sennin," growled the red-eyed blond before him.

And run he did.

Keisuke heaved a sigh. Oh well, Jiraiya would be fine. Most of Naruto's anger over the incident was expended already. Soon enough, all would be forgiven. Hell, Naruto had only sprouted one "tail" this time, not four...

_Wait a minute, _he thought. _Those tails..._ He ran a feeler across Naruto's red chakra "tail" as the boy moved after his half-dead sensei, just to make sure.

He found what he was looking for. Keisuke's Ghostly Arm did not lie; the tail had the same signature as his own chakra arms. Grinning, the blind man followed after his young friend, eager to share with him this new breakthrough.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Was Naruto pissed? Oh yes. Would Naruto kill Ero-Sennin? Maybe. Could Ero-Sennin run away fast enough? Hell no. Was Ero-Sennin screwed? Definitely.

Well, maybe not so screwed. He had made a good point after all; Naruto was many times the ninja that he had been back in Konoha. Hell, most of the time he didn't mind the training, and he was even nearly ready to forgive his big mistake in the hot spring town. But nobody—and I mean nobody—was going to treat Uzumaki Naruto that way and then act like it was no big deal. Screw letting up because he was hurt... Jiraiya would live, and Naruto would forgive him, but not without taking a good thumping.

"Get back here, you perverted old lump!" he cried, following in his sensei's wake.

That Ero-Sennin was quick even with his bandages. Though the Kyuubi's chakra pumped through him, Naruto was having trouble keeping up as they dodged over roofs, through alleyways, under sewer grates, across the marketplace, and god only knows how many other places. Nevertheless, Naruto made a steady gain, and within five minutes, he was nearly on him.

Then, as Jiraiya ducked under an aqueduct, and Naruto flew over it, the Kyuubi container lost sight of his perverted master. He attempted to find him again by smell, but failed; the pervert had washed his scent off in the aqueduct's waters. Cursing, he followed the aqueduct back into the heart of the village, but it was no good... he had lost him. Naruto was just about to give up and look for Keisuke when he heard screaming from a building to his left. Looking over, he noticed that the building was the local public bath.

Naruto smiled. Ero-Sennin would get his punishment after all. Bursting right into the women's side, he quickly located his sensei, up against a wall facing several very angry women, and promptly blew him through the roof. Satisfied, he turned and stomped out of the bathhouse, reveling in his breif triumph.

His red chakra still burned in him as he stepped into the cool night air. He'd given Ero-Sennin what he deserved, but it would be a while before he calmed down completely. He swept an old beer can off into the night with his chakra "tail" and turned to walk back to the hotel room.

He was halfway there when a kind voice interrupted his brooding. "Still pissed, I see. That amazing chakra is such a giveaway for that particular emotion."

Naruto faced Keisuke with annoyance still in his voice. "Shut up. It's not like it isn't justified for me to be pissed."

Keisuke grinned. "I agree with you. Jiraiya-san is forgetful—we'll have to keep teaching him this lesson for a long time. Still, I don't think there will be much cause for anger when you hear what I've got to say."

"Oh really?" Naruto spat on the ground. "Then say it."

"Toss that dumpster out of the way for me, would you?"

Naruto was too busy grousing over Ero-Sennin to question him. With his tail, he reached behind him and flung the offending dumpster to the other end of the street.

Keisuke nodded and settled against the wall. "Thank you. Care to tell me how you did that?"

"Did what?"

"Moved that huge dumpster with your chakra."

Naruto's annoyance increased. "I reached my chakra out, put it behind the dumpster, and pried it away from the wall. How do you think I did it?"

"Strange," Keisuke said, "When I do it, it usually would take more than one of my chakra arms to move something that big. Maybe it's because you pumped most of the chakra into a single arm rather than spread it out evenly among the sixty-four of them?"

Now Naruto's anger drained away, the demon's chakra and the tail receding back into the seal from whence they came. If he had heard Keisuke right...

"Wait a minute," he said. "You're saying that the tails that Kyuubi's chakra makes when I'm mad are actually those Ghostly Arm things? Are you jerking my chain?"

"No," Keisuke said, "I'm not playing around. I had a good feel of that tail there this time around. There's no mistake."

Naruto gawked at Keisuke open-mouthed, making him look rather stupider than he actually was. After a few seconds, he shook it off, but he was still wide-eyed. This day was turning out to be more full of surprises than any other day that he had known.

"Well, that sucks... why does it only work when I let Kyuubi's chakra out?"

"It makes sense, actually," Keisuke continued. "The essence of the Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms is finding your tenketsus and pushing the arms out into the air, where they can be manipulated almost like a second set of hands. I guess Kyuubi must have gotten bored in there and decided to pass the time by counting out your tenketsus. At some point, he probably figured out that he could extend his chakra through them. He probably twisted most of the arms together into thicker, shorter 'tails' as his personal touch. Who knew that a demon could be so creative, eh kid?"

Naruto, however, was chagrined rather than intrigued. "Damn it," he said, "This probably means that I'll have to get that stupid fox to teach me how to do it, and I've only ever talked to him when I was half-dead."

"Aw, buck up, kid," Keisuke said. He put his arm over Naruto's shoulder reassuringly. "When we started this, you didn't have a clue where to look for your power. Now, thanks to Jiraiya-san's infuriating you, you've got a lead."

Naruto brightened a bit. "Yeah, I guess Ero-Sennin is good for something, at least."

Keisuke smiled again. "That's the way, kid. Get back to the hotel—I'll finish some things up out here and then follow you. I want to see you back at the field first thing tomorrow, so we can work on this."

Naruto flashed a foxy grin of his own, saying, "All right, nii-chan. You're definitely going to owe me thirty bowls of ramen when we get home."

As the kid moved off, Keisuke slapped his own forehead. _Damn, forgot about that little detail. Maybe I should have waited a week._ Then he stretched his free chakra arms to their full reach, confirmed the presence in the trees, and turned to face it.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Hyuuga Hiashi's request had been clear, but as Haruka saw the man called Keisuke turn towards her, her doubts about whether this was the best course of action resurfaced. If this man possessed the kind of power that she suspected he did, then was it wise to directly attack him so soon? If he wasn't a threat at the outset, then this would more than likely make him into one.

Still, Haruka trusted Hiashi's judgment. She'd known him since her girlhood, and he'd proved to be a sound leader. Sure, he hadn't stopped the barbaric practice of putting cursed seals on the branch family, but that wasn't her problem; she was an independent, living where no member of the Main House could abuse the power. Clan politics didn't concern her anymore. What mattered was that Hiashi, whom she believed to be a capable leader, had asked her to do this for him. So it was that when the stranger turned his eyeless face in her direction, she didn't run or hide.

Then the stranger spoke. "You can come down from there now," he said, "The kid's out of the way."

Haruka did so, dropping from the tree and landing catlike in a battle stance. The lower half of her face was masked, and her midnight hair was tied back out of her eyes, which were precisely the same shade as the moon above them. In her black bodysuit with her Byakugan active, she might have frightened away a common man simply by looking at him. Pity that the stranger was blind.

"Your aura is strange, Hyuuga-san. Clarify your intentions, please." The blind man's voice was low and serious. Haruka hesitated—Hiashi had advised her to strike without delay, to test his skill in its entirety, including defense against stealth attacks. However, the stranger had not only found her, but already identified her blood limit ability, so her stealth was scrapped. And if she was already pegged as a Hyuuga, then attacking him without warning might send him back to Konoha for vengeance.

She opted to oblige him. "If you are Keisuke of the Grave, as I think you are, then my purpose is to test you," she said.

"Test me? Hyuuga-san, what need of your clansmens' would compel you to that?"

"We have observed you since your arrival here," she explained, "And you have exhibited a power that you did not have when you visited Hiashi-sama seven years ago. If it is the same power that we believe it to be, then Hiashi-sama has cause to believe that you may be a threat to the Hyuuga Clan and Konoha. He has asked me to confirm our suspicions in combat." Haruka didn't see any reason to lie to the man; she wasn't exactly telling him anything that he couldn't have figured out for himself, and lying to him might give him more reason to hunt her clansmen.

The blind man nodded. "I am grateful that you are being truthful with me. It's a quality that was absent in most of the last bunch of idiots that Hiashi sent after me. Very well," he said, and removed his vest and overshirt. Haruka's Byakugan saw several more chakra arms, now free of the bulky cotton shirt, extend to join the ones that sprouted from his arms and legs.

Sinking into his own stance, the man continued, "I am Keisuke of the Grave, as you thought. Your truthfulness has earned you my respect—I'll fight you willingly."

Silence reigned for a moment as the opponents sized each other up. Haruka's eyes allowed her to see what was invisible to the average human: the sixty-four "Ghostly Arms" that sprouted from the tenketsus in Keisuke's inner coils system. She could see him waving them around himself, feeling out the area, and watched as the nearest ones closed on her, marking out her position, feeling for changes in her aura that might give away an attack. It was as spectacular and alien-looking as she remembered it. And now, it was up to her to test it.

_There's no point in trying to fake him out, _she thought. _ He'll feel through any bluff that I try easily. I can't be sure that the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho will work, either; those arms might just be a natural barrier for the tenketsus. The best chance I have is to out-maneuver him and try to strike directly from close range. _

Her opponent was also analyzing his chances. _Her Byakugan eyes can see every move that my chakra arms make. Trap seals will be useless, and she'll have advanced warning of any Kokuin jutsus that I perform. Stealth and genjutsu is an exercise in futility here. I'll have to avoid the Jyuuken as much as possible and overpower her. _

The stillness lasted several minutes.

Then, Haruka saw him start to wrap some of his arms around himself, forming an elaborate seal. She didn't wait for him to finish, focusing chakra to her feet and charging him with Jyuuken at the ready. His feelers caught the movement immediately, and he flung shuriken in her path. Though she avoided them easily, her dodging movement afforded him time to complete his seal.

"Insotsu Kokuin: Raikou!" (Commanding Carved Seal: Lightning)

No visible change accompanied the activation of the Kokuin, but Haruka knew better than to charge in blindly without knowing the nature of the defense. She threw a set of kunai, which he dodged fluidly. However, his feelers didn't pick up the thin wire that she had wrapped around two of them, and without eyes, Keisuke had no other way of knowing about it. He dodged between them and ended up with his arms tied to his sides.

Certain that whatever defense that he had was now disabled, Haruka charged a second time. Taking aim at Keisuke's right lung with her Byakugan, she readied a Jyuuken strike. She was thirty feet away with no visible resistance.

But when she came within twenty-five feet and he had positioned his chakra arms in a spiral pattern around him, she knew that something was amiss. She pulled out of her charge just as he leaped into the air and started spinning.

"Raikaiten!" (Lightning Spin)

The crackling electrified whips that had once been ordinary chakra barely grazed her, but they still stung like hell. It was like being slapped by some overgrown jellyfish. She landed hard on the concrete and rolled to her feet. _A modified Kaiten!_ _If he had waited just a little longer with that, I would might have been seriously electrocuted, _she thought. _If he had waited... did he...?_

She relaxed her stance. He'd started his Kaiten early to give her a chance to pull out. "You could have done me serious injury with that technique," she said. "Why did you let me escape?"

"Why did you wait until I understood that you wanted to fight before attacking?" he countered. "I was under the impression that this was merely a test. Why use lethal force in a test, especially when there could be civilians caught in the crossfire?"

"Well," Haruka said, "There are those among us who'd think you'd jump at the chance to slaughter a Hyuuga. That's part of why I am here: to find out how threatening you might be to us."

Keisuke frowned at her, dropping his Kokuin and straightening out of his battle stance. "Hyuuga-san, I'll be honest with you. There are individuals among your clan, like you, who are morally sound enough to earn my respect. But, as a rule, I... don't like the Hyuuga much."

Haruka stiffened. She had noticed the way that his face had contorted in disgust as he finished that sentence. Obviously, he did not like the Hyuuga at all, possibly even detested them. "So... should I consider you a friend or an enemy?"

Turning away from her, Keisuke said, "You and your clansmen are safe from me, Hyuuga-san. I have no desire to associate with them at all." Without another word, he walked away.

Haruka let him go. She had seen enough for now, and was busy deciphering what she had learned. She had accomplished her primary goal, and confirmed that the stranger was indeed the fabled Keisuke of the Grave that had visited Hyuuga Hiashi. He was powerful, that was clear. She thought that in a real battle situation, away from civilians and with the advantages of stealth, she might have been able to best him, but in a fair fight it was clear that he was her superior. It also seemed true that he valued honesty and respected the rules of engagement.

Other than that, though, Hyuuga Haruka didn't know what to make of him. He might have been telling the truth when he'd said that her clansmen were safe, but from the way his face had shown utter contempt when he had spoken of them, she thought it possible that this might change very easily. She was once again at a loss, and decided that perhaps it would be best to consult Hiashi again.

She let her Byakugan fade and ran along the fence towards her apartment. After a minute's hard running, she let her mask fall and sighed. As she rounded a sharp corner, she wondered if...

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Naruto was nearing the hotel room when he got the feeling that something wasn't all right. Reaching back, he found that the straps that had rested on his shoulders that morning were no longer there.

"Crap, I forgot that I dropped my pack when I chased after Ero-Sennin!" he groaned, and hopped onto the fence to head back into town. He was not happy at all. On top of everything else that had happened today, he was going to have to run all over the place trying to recover his gear.

Naruto heaved a resigned sigh as he came around a sharp corner, inwardly wondering whether...

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

CRACK.

Two heads that had been staring at their owners' feet as they pondered the events of the long day collided, and the dual concussion that resulted yielded two unconscious ninja. The streets that intersected at the scene of the crash were deserted this late at night; there were no witnesses, and the two were left to elements.

Fortunately for them, their rescuer came within minutes. Unfortunately, their rescuer was a tired, beaten old man in torn bandages.

"Argh, Naruto," said the man, rubbing the back of his head and wincing, "You'd better be grateful for this, dragging you back after all you put me through..." With a pained grunt, Jiraiya slung the unconscious woman over his undamaged shoulder, and proceeded to drag the concussed Naruto back to the hotel.

_I'm sorry, Naruto,_ the Toad Sennin thought. _I'll make sure you aren't neglected again._

_> > > > > > > > > > _End Chapter Four> > > > > > > > > > > >

**A/N**: I guess that this is as good a place as any to stop. If I don't split this, it's going to end up as a double-length chapter, and I don't want to accidentally intimidate anyone with huge chapters.

I've ended up surprising myself. I had pretty much the whole plot mapped out to go a certain way, but the more I write, the more I end up deviating from it. It's still on the right track, mostly, but the Lacking Sight that I imagined is already pretty different from the Lacking Sight that I originally envisioned. I'm not bothered by it... I actually am comfortable with some of the changes, and I'm beginning to see that ultimately, as a writer, my goal is to please my readers, and often one is required to deviate from the original ideas to achieve that goal.

Anyway, enjoy this little bonus chapter this week!

On a side note, tomorrow, May 11, is Keisuke's birthday, or the 1-year anniversary of the day I first used him in a literary work (No, I'm not obsessed with my OC, I was able to remember because I put a date on all my work. LOL.) I've used Keisuke in two roleplays and one scrapped story since then. He was always different in background and had different powers, but his blindness and the personality that resulted from it were always the same. In Lacking Sight, though, I think Keisuke has finally found the place where he truly shines.


	6. C5: Worthy

**A/N: **I've been unable to access FF Dot Net for a few days and was beginning to worry whether I'd ever be able to update again. :O Looks like I got lucky, ne?

I was kinda disappointed when I only got four reviews last chapter. I have resolved to work harder to make the story better. This chapter should be the last one before we move on back to Konoha, so maybe the return scene will spawn more/better reviews in Chapter Six?

**Chapter 5: Worthy**

She walked the line between wakefulness and sleep for a long time, her thoughts and dreams so scattered as to shape her world into a semblance of the apocalypse. It was temporary, however, and soon she was crossing the line into consciousness, piecing together the thoughts that had been sent akimbo in her battered head. In a few moments, those thoughts took on coherence, and she remembered that she was Hyuuga Haruka, an independent Branch House member, and that she had been about to send a report to her long-time friend and Clan Head, Hiashi. Feeling the throbbing in her forehead, she remembered that she'd had an accident on her way home.

One important piece of information was still missing, however. Was she still where she had fallen, or had she been moved? Gritting her teeth against the pain, she opened her eyes to find out.

Her eyes widened as she found herself staring into a foxlike face, whose most prominent features were the whisker-shaped birthmarks, the brilliance of its blue eyes, and the overbearing energy of the smile it was wearing. That grin only widened when the owner of the face saw that Haruka was awake. He turned his head and half-shouted over his shoulder.

"Oi, Ero-Sennin, she's awake!"

Haruka moved to sit up, and the boy—who she now recognized as Uzumaki Naruto, jailer of Kyuubi—rose to his feet as he was joined by the third occupant of the room, who she immediately saw was the legendary Jiraiya. Her face concealed the surprise that she felt at waking up under the watch of these two. How had she ended up in the hotel room of the ninja she had been stalking all week?

She didn't have to wait long for her answer, as the Uzumaki boy had opened his mouth again. "Nee-chan, are you okay? Ero-Sennin found us after we hit each other on the fence. I'm pretty hard-headed," he said, rapping his own head in demonstration, "But I don't know you. Does it hurt a lot?" As he spoke, Haruka could see his apology; it was blatantly obvious in his body language. He seemed to deeply regret what his thick skulled-ness had inflicted.

Haruka had, of course, been observing him since he'd arrived, but during that time she had seen only his determination for getting stronger, and his rage at his master's folly. Now, away from the rocky outcropping that he'd adopted for a training field, she was seeing another aspect of the annoyingly loud, dangerously powerful teenager. _Was I unconscious a long time, to make him this worried, or is he naturally this considerate? _ If the latter were true, she may have needed to re-evaluate his level of threat to Konoha. However, even if he didn't want to destroy the village, he still had, as she had heard, openly vowed to "change Hyuuga," so she decided to reserve her judgment on Naruto for now. Her friend Hiashi might still have a problem on his hands.

Even so, she tucked this display of kindness into her memory. She'd definitely take it into consideration later.

Before Haruka could answer the boy's questions, though, Jiraiya had asked his own. "It took me a while to recognize you, injured as I am, but now I'm positive. You're the Hyuuga that I've seen flickering around after us all week, am I mistaken?" The Toad Sennin's face was uncharacteristically neutral, though his tone carried a seriousness that to Haruka implied, _Don't lie to me. I know ninjutsu. And I mean _really _know it._

Shifting her gaze from Jiraiya's detached mien to Naruto's suddenly curious one, she saw that she was left with little choice. Neither of them would like the truth, that was for sure, but she could potentially be in more trouble here if one of the Sennin guessed that she was lying. All Haruka could hope for, really, was that these two shared their companion's high regard for honest people.

She proceeded to tell them everything that she knew of the situation: Her reaction to their arrival, the manner in which she had informed Hiashi; her concern at Naruto's frequent displays of demon power and the potential threat that she saw in him; Hiashi's concern—maybe fear?—about Keisuke of the Grave and the all-too-familiar power that he had obtained, and how Haruka had accepted his request to test him. She told them everything up until the point where her memory ended in the painful state that Jiraiya had found them in.

Both men listened intently to the tale. When it ended, Jiraiya gave a small nod and a grunt, showing that he had believed the story. Naruto, however, still had questions.

"But, Haruka nee-chan," Haruka was at a loss at this, since nobody had ever called her "sister," "Why would your Clan Head be afraid of Keisuke's Rokujuuyon Reiude? I've never heard of it doing anything really destructive..."

Haruka was slightly taken aback. _Has the Uzumaki boy been taught _nothing _of his father's past? _Nonetheless, she did not hesitate in her answer.

"The power that Keisuke-san names the Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms is the power that, guided by a very skilled ninja, almost forced an end to the current Hyuuga Clan system of Main and Branch Houses. Hiashi probably thinks that if Keisuke-san gained the same mastery of it as that ninja did, then he would have both the means and the motivation to finish the job. Hiashi is a long-time friend of mine, so I'm trying to do him a favor by keeping an eye or two on him, and on you."

Naruto frowned. "Okay, I understand that," he said, "But you're a Branch House member, right? Why would you be friends with the man who let that ugly seal get put on your forehead?"

"Hiashi wasn't Clan Head when I received the seal," Haruka replied, "So my 'curse' isn't really his fault. If it helps you to hear against the Main House, my parents didn't like the system much. They took me out of the village, and we all became independents—completely free of all clan binds except the Caged Bird Seal, which was there to prevent the Byakugan from falling into the hands of our enemies. I don't dabble in clan politics much; the rift between the houses doesn't concern me."

The blond demon vessel pondered a moment, and then voiced what seemed to be his final opinion.

"I like your parents," he said, "Anyone that doesn't like the way the Hyuuga Clan runs is someone I can relate to." His foxy smile then lit up his face. "I think I like you, too, nee-chan. You don't hate the clan system, but you don't really support it either, so you're okay. And your eyes aren't cold like most peoples.' Reminds me of some friends back home..."

At this last remark, Haruka was once again surprised. _Eyes aren't cold..._ It was then that she realized just what kind of person that Uzumaki Naruto was. The boy could have easily taken the hateful looks of the villagers around him and used them to fuel a demonic fury, destroying potentially half his home, and yet here he was, completely trusting a complete stranger who was a member, however detached, of a ninja clan that he apparently despised. Hell, he even likened her to "some friends back home..."

Struck by a sudden curiosity, Haruka asked, "Naruto-kun, you have befriended Hyuuga before?"

Naruto broke out of his reverie with his grin plastered on his face. "Yep. Much as I don't like most of them, there are a few of them who aren't that bad."

He looked out of the hotel window, into the light of the crescent moon. "I wonder how they are... Neji... Hinata..."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

For somewhere on the order of five hours, the two Hyuuga cousins had been trading blow after blow after blow. It was only practice, so the open-palm Jyuuken strikes had no force behind them, yet after fifty or so practice matches, both combatants were as winded and as bruised as though they had just come out of a particularly unruly moshpit. The sun-parched earth beneath them was stained with sweat and scuffed up by two pairs of feet repeatedly scrambling to gain or maintain balance. The setting sun glinted on their plated headbands as they fought to catch their breath, having just finished an unbelievably close sparring match.

Normally, Hyuuga Neji was nonplussed by this level of grueling activity. His teammate, Rock Lee, had a sort of neurotic obsession with intense physical strain, and made a point of dragging him out to their practice field for long sparring sessions, particularly when it was least convenient to him. As a result, extreme physical activity had long ceased to bother Neji, and after a while, he had begun to appreciate its value, his stamina having increased considerably. Since his promotion to Chuunin rank, Neji had been forced to endure many challenging missions in rapid succession, and without Lee forcing him to work at his level, he might have exhausted himself already.

When he was by himself, making use of one of his scarce resting periods, Neji contemplated the irony in this. Before his first failed Chuunin examination, Neji had regarded Lee as a hyperactive, talentless fool, who was doomed to a fate of inferiority. Indeed, he had labeled quite a lot of people that way, his cousin Hinata included. Back then, strength and weakness, and the unbridgeable gap between them, was all he had been able to see.

Then Neji had met Uzumaki Naruto, and had his blind arrogance handed to him on a silver platter. For the village fool to defeat the number one strongest gennin, the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan... Unthinkable by Neji's old standards, and yet it had happened.

On that day, his outlook on life, as well as his comrades, had begun to change. Rock Lee, youth-obsessed psychotic though he was, was a dependable and loyal teammate. Uzumaki Naruto, although loud and thick-headed, was a capable fighter and a fierce protector of those who didn't deserve harm.

And his own cousin, Hyuuga Hinata, despite her timidness, was one of the most determined people he had ever known. Though she had lost thirty-nine of the fifty practice matches they had fought that afternoon and both of them were nearly dead on their feet, she had refused all of his beseeching to call it a day and go home. The old Hyuuga Neji might have called it foolishness...

Except that she had still won eleven matches. Considering that she had never beaten him even in practice in all his fourteen years of knowing her, and that she had actually mustered the nerve to _ask _Neji to practice, it seemed that the Hinata that Neji knew was no more. She had improved beyond recognition and become something new. Something with a purpose. Something strong.

After a few minutes, Neji had recovered enough to turn and start walking home. But before he had gone three paces, his cousin's normally forceless voice halted him.

"Wait, Neji nii-san!"

Though he would liked to have done something very un-Neji-like and fall over in exasperation, he made the effort to turn and walk back. Though Hinata was quite obviously tapped out, she had returned, albeit shakily, to her ready stance.

Her eyes were both determined and pleading as she said, "One more. Please, Neji nii-san. One more, and then we'll go home." For a long moment, Neji stared at her. Then, with one of his rare smiles on his face, he also sank back into his stance.

"As you wish, Hinata-sama. I will fight one more." _And I thought only that idiot Lee could force me to this, _he thought. _To convince me so easily, and with this new strength..._

When the sun had set and Hinata's eleven wins had become twelve, Neji was ready to believe that perhaps there was a reason why she had been born the heir to the Hyuuga.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

A sudden tumult of shouting and explosions drew Naruto and his companions out of the hotel and into the night which, only moments ago, had been dark and peaceful. While they had been talking, it had transformed into a nightmare. Shop windows were being smashed in, valuables were being looted, people were screaming into the streets from their burning homes, and animate corpses flitted through the night.

Or at least, they _looked like _corpses. Taking a better look at one of them in the process of making off with a baker's early morning product, Naruto could see that they were really just men wearing cerements and smothered in dirt. They sure looked ghastly, but these were really just a bunch of freaks.

"They aren't shinobi," Jiraiya observed, tripping one of them and stepping on him for emphasis.

"Yeah, just a bunch of bastards in Halloween costumes, trying to scare people away from their stuff so they can make off with it!" Naruto added, smashing another into the fence as he passed.

Haruka's Byakugan was active, looking through the turmoil. "But there's a lot of them. And they've spread through half of the village already."

"Eh?" Naruto asked, "But shouldn't the village guard have been able to handle a bunch of freaks like these?" He grabbed one of them by the scruff of the neck and kicked him into a wall to punctuate his question.

"They've pinned down the village guard in their bunker."

"Well, that's not... Oi! Keisuke!"

Naruto had spotted his blind "brother" on a rooftop, squaring off against one of the brigands. Not hesitating, he leaped up towards them, Haruka and then Jiraiya following. On closer inspection, this particular pilferer was many times larger than any of his brethren, and possessed a height advantage of about two feet over Keisuke. And, unlike his fellows, he wore a set of armor made of bone chains. Immediately after they reached the rooftop, Keisuke felt them there and held out his arm in a halting gesture.

"Don't approach him!" Keisuke called, straining to be heard over the pandemonium below. "This one is a missing nin, and a juggernaut at that!"

As if on cue, the monstrous man swung a bone-adorned club at Keisuke's head. With a grunt, Keisuke dug in his heels and stopped it with both hands.

Naruto did not retreat. "What the hell kinda missing nin tries to fit himself into a little kid's Halloween costume!"

"You be quiet, damned kid," snapped the victim of the verbal jab, "Unless you want to be dead."

"I know this man," Haruka interjected. "He and his flunkies have been terrorizing the locals in this country for months now. I've stopped them where I could, but every one that fell always was replaced by more. They are the Rotting Blood Gang, and if I am not mistaken, this is Daisuke of the Grave."

"That's true," Keisuke growled, teeth clenched as he fought to hold back Daisuke's club, "Apparently the fool's been wanting to find me forever so that he could fight over 'who's worthier of the Grave.' Ridiculous, if you ask me..."

"It isn't ridiculous!" Daisuke bellowed, finally hurling Keisuke away, "I'm the leader of the Rotting Blood, the man who perfected the art of bone weaponry! I need a title that reflects my style, and you are my rival for it!"

At this, Naruto, Keisuke, Jiraiya, and Haruka had put on very blank stares.

_It's really... _that_ important to him?_ Haruka asked inwardly.

_Bone weaponry? He's full of himself—that Kimimaro person did better. Waaay unoriginal, _thought Naruto.

Jiraiya was sweatdropping._ He's just a larger, more sinister version of Maito Gai..._

Keisuke, however, was thinking, _He's an oaf, that's for certain, but that just leads to his opponents underestimating him. He's a walking tank; I'm having far more trouble with him than I had with those sound nin. _

"Right," he said, "Naruto, Jiraiya-san..."

"Let me help, Keisuke nii-chan!"

"Naruto, it's no good. This one is enough trouble for me, and I don't need you biting off more than you can chew, especially with Jiraiya-san injured."

"But Keisuke, you're already losing!" Indeed, Keisuke looked to be at a disadvantage; his clothing was torn in several places, there were bruises where the bone club and gauntlets had struck, there was a crack in one lens of his sunglasses, and Daisuke looked virtually unharmed. "What if he's too much for you?"

"Naruto," Jiraiya cut in, "Keisuke is keeping him busy. Right now the rest of the gang below is being allowed to plunder at will. While Daisuke is occupied here, he will be unable to stop us from taking down his flunkies. Your energy is better spent down there." He pointed to the cluttered and burning streets below.

"He's right, Naruto-kun," added Haruka, "You should go help Jiraiya-san deal with them. I'll stay and help Keisuke-san for you."

For a moment, nobody spoke, but then Naruto agreed with a reluctant nod, gave a half-smile of thanks to Haruka, and turned away. "Come on, Ero-Sennin. There's bugs to swat." The two of them hopped downward, Jiraiya doing what he could within the limits of his injury, and Naruto full-out thrashing the disbelieving thieves with a small army of Kage Bunshins.

Not moving from his ready poise facing the bone user, Keisuke addressed Haruka.

"Your offer of help is noted," he said. "But since you considered me to be a possible 'threat,' and because you are Hyuuga, you'll understand if I decline it." His voice had a chill in it that was unlike him, even though he spoke with his "serious, intimidating" battle-voice. Haruka could hear it with crystal clarity; Keisuke did not trust her, and apparently for good reasons.

"Naruto-kun chose to trust me," she said, "Though he knows my purpose. He's proved to me that he isn't a monster, and I've decided to withhold judgment on you as well."

"I trust Naruto with my life," Keisuke replied, "But I generally don't trust his judgments. He's got a few more years of maturing to do, after all. As for you... I said before, I have no love for the Hyuuga. And I don't have any way of knowing that you won't stab me in the back."

Once again, Haruka hid her exasperation. True, Keisuke probably had a reason to hate her clan, but why would she have any reason to offer help and then betray him? She barely knew anything about Keisuke; it was too early to make such a rash decision as to kill him.

Still, the more Keisuke thrust her into his Hyuuga stereotype, the more she felt like doing just that...

Meanwhile, Daisuke had been growing impatient. Finally, it seemed as though he could wait no longer, and charged Keisuke with his humongous club. Keisuke evaded it and landed squarely on the next rooftop over.

"Hello, I'm trying to prove something here!" roared the bone user. "How can I seriously say that I'm the one truly deserving of the rights to the Grave if I just smash you while you are chatting away idly with some interfering broad?"

Said interfering broad came running towards the huge man, Byakugan activating on the fly, ready to strike. Her charge was cut short, however, by a blast of cold from beneath her feet. Haruka was stopped in her tracks as the water vapor in the air quickly condensed and then froze around her feet and legs, trapping her, but leaving her unharmed.

_Damn it, _she thought. Keisuke had planted a trap seal with his Sixty-Four Arms technique in anticipation of her attack, and with her Byakugan not active, she had failed to notice it until it had sprung.

The two combatants ignored her as she fought to break free.

"You know, I really don't see what's so important about it," Keisuke said. "My title doesn't matter to me much at all. It was given to me by my peers, not invented."

As Daisuke seemed to grow more and more furious, Keisuke thought a little more provocation was in order; if he could get the bone user good and mad, he might not need any help to slip in a killing blow through his anger-clumsified defenses.

Putting on a maniacal grin, Keisuke said, "And they certainly didn't call me Keisuke of the Grave because I survived the horror of squeezing my overinflated head into some child's Halloween costume."

Keisuke's jibe had the intended effect. Daisuke was enveloped in full-blown rage as he charged again, club held high. Keisuke sidestepped the blow, leaped up and kicked the bone user in the back of the head, using the rebound to sail back to the first rooftop as his opponent crashed into the stone.

_Oaf, _he thought. However, he shouldn't have been thinking, as Daisuke had risen again, apparently not damaged, to strike once more. The oaf had some really effective armor and an inhuman amount of stamina. Keisuke could dodge these clumsy attacks all day long, but the bone-wearing tank could absorb anything that he could dish out and come back without hesitating. If Keisuke did not think of a way to inflict some damage, Daisuke would outlast him.

Fortunately, Keisuke had had some education down in Orochimaru's freezing dungeon labs. Dried bones were of the type of material that shattered easily when it was cold. It may have been a long shot, but Keisuke had no other bright ideas.

"Insotsu Kokuin; Shimo!" (Commanding Carved Seal: Frost)

Sixteen of his remaining sixty Ghostly Arms (four of them having been consumed to make the trap which imprisoned Haruka) wrapped into his skin, and the shining blue seal took form. The air became cold around him, and his exhaled breath became visible. He was cold incarnate. Now he would put Daisuke's bone armor to the test.

As the hefty bone-tank's club came sweeping at his left side, Keisuke ducked underneath and delivered a hard kick at Daisuke's side. Some of the bone links chipped, but the kick did not so much as make Daisuke flinch. Not waiting for the next swing, Keisuke tried again, aiming a frosty punch at his opponent's gut. He got the same result, with the added misfortune of having placed himself directly in the path of Daisuke's next swing.

They might have been easy to evade for a skilled ninja, but those heavy blows were not pleasant to feel when they actually landed. Keisuke went sailing back into the same crater that Daisuke had made with his armored weight in the other roof. Winded and bleeding, but not finished, he climbed to his feet and watched Daisuke bellow in triumph at his good hit.

The icy blows were more effective against the bone armor than his normal blows, but they still did not do nearly enough damage. Daisuke still didn't have a scratch on him. Gritting his teeth, Keisuke made a decision that he hadn't had to make in a very long time. It would cost him a large chunk of his combat capability. But, if it worked, Daisuke would be eating rock splinters.

Keisuke vaulted back to the original roof, leaped over the low sweep of the club, and slammed his open palm into Daisuke's chest.

"Kokuin Release, Shimo no Baindingu!" (Carved Seal Release, Binding of Frost)

He felt the Ghostly Arms of his Kokuin rip off from him, detaching from their formation on his skin and wrapping onto the bone-bedecked behemoth in the reverse formation. This done, Keisuke dodged the overhead club strike and leaped away, repositioning.

He had to attack immediately—Those Arms were working their magic on Daisuke, the inverted Kokuin supercooling the target himself rather than the air around him as the original Kokuin did, yet they were cut off from Keisuke's chakra now. Soon they would cease to function, and Daisuke would shake off the cold that was restricting his movements and be all over him again.

Keisuke was down to forty-four Ghostly Arms, barely enough to form a Kokuin and still have enough left over to feel out his environment. He could not do another trap seal or binding without sacrificing either power or perception. For this effort, however, it sufficed. He wrote a different seal on himself, one that shone with brilliant white.

"Ryoku no Kokuin!" (Carved Seal of Power)

With his joints stiff from cold and his armor brittle, there was no way for Daisuke to evade or withstand the impact of Keisuke's Kokuin-powered fist. The bone chestpiece blew apart and the blow connected just beneath its wearer's sternum, sending Daisuke of the Grave plowing into the stone floor of the plaza below.

Keisuke swept an Arm quickly over the fallen bone user. To his perceptions, there was no question that he was dead. _Poor fool's weight finally killed him, falling from that height,_ he thought. He released his Kokuin and turned to the captive Haruka.

"Now then," he said, "Let's discuss..."

"Behind you!" she shouted.

Keisuke didn't have time to feel out the solid mass that slammed into his back, sending him crashing into Haruka, who was knocked free from her icy shackles and tumbled with Keisuke into a nearby wall. Keisuke felt a couple of ribs snap. Haruka, who was partially cushioned against the impact by his chest, was healthier.

"Well," she said as she extricated herself, "You'll have a difficult time finishing the battle this way." She indicated his broken ribs, which her Byakugan saw without hindrance. When Keisuke only grunted, she spoke again.

"You know that I have no reason to kill you—yet. Is your hatred for Hyuuga too strong, or are you finally ready to try trusting me?"

Keisuke was silent as he struggled into a kneeling position. Haruka pressed for an answer.

"He has a powerful genjutsu which allows him to feign death too completely for a wave of your feelers to detect. Other than his obscene stamina, it looks like the only thing that qualifies him as a ninja. But he can't fool my eyes. Do you want my help or don't you?"

Daisuke landed on the street fifty yards away and started walking towards them. There was murder in his eyes. Hesitating only a moment longer, Keisuke finally assented.

"If you must."

Haruka nodded. At last, it seemed, they were breaking through Keisuke's stereotyping habit.

"Stay here," she said. "You removed his armor, but he's still thick-skinned. My Jyuuken will punch through that. Just stay out of the way so you don't aggravate that injury."

"I'll stay right here," Keisuke said, "But if you think I'm letting you take all the glory, you're wrong." As he spoke, Haruka saw several of his Ghostly Arms move toward her. They hovered near her tenketsus, and as Haruka felt a pressure from them, she was surprised as she realized that they were trying to force their way into her chakra coil system.

"Let them in," Keisuke said. "Surrender to them."

Haruka quailed for a moment, shocked at the prospect of the invasive Arms. Then she recovered herself and set her jaw in determination. Keisuke had taken long enough to trust her—why should she sink to his level by taking just as long? Resolutely, she took a deep breath, and relaxed.

Then the Arms pushed into her tenketsus, and her world was expanded.

Haruka found that she could feel everything that Keisuke could. The Ghostly Arms that were not connected to her brushed over objects around them, and she could feel them as though she had touched them with her own hand. She did not control the Arms—that, apparently, was still Keisuke's department—but she had access to all of the information that Keisuke absorbed through his senses.

As she became more aware of the connection, Haruka also found that she had access to Keisuke's reserves of chakra; they were waiting, untapped, within his body, ready to be used by either of them at a moment's notice.

"Nice, isn't it?" Keisuke said, smirking. "It's not something I get to do very often, as most people object to having me stick things in them. But the synchronization technique is very nice when I can use it. This is one of the only times that I can have access to eyes. How fortunate that you have such good ones, eh?"

Haruka had to agree that it was very nice, though the invasiveness was unpleasant at first. Having that extra set of feelers in addition to the Byakugan made her feel as though nothing in the world could hide from her, and the access to that extra chakra was very comforting.

"It has some limitations. If you move too far from me, the connection will break, and if you aren't careful, you might drain more chakra from me than is healthy. But I trust with the Hyuuga's exceptional chakra control, that shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Haruka ignored the bitterness in his tone. For now, she concentrated on the tank in the shredded armor lumbering toward her.

"Idle chatter again, eh?" he said, shaking his large head. "And now the broad is going to fight? Keisuke, you are unworthy of the Grave. Yet, for the purpose of sport, I will oblige you!"

And Daisuke charged Haruka, club cocked back for a crushing blow. Unable to stray from Keisuke due to the leash provided by the synchronization technique, Haruka did not rush to meet the charge, but waited in a ready stance for the attack to come. But Daisuke, with his rage now diminished some, was no longer attacking blindly and head on. Stopping ten feet short of her, he dug his club into the street and flung heavy chunks of rock at her in one of his rare instances of brilliance.

This was a folly, however. Between Keisuke's feelers and her Byakugan, not a single rock could escape her notice. Though she could have easily dodged or blocked all of them, Haruka decided that the brute might respond better to a show of more force. Drawing on both Keisuke's chakra and her own, she flung herself into a rapid spin.

"Hakke Shou Kaiten!"

Fueled by two sources of chakra, the swirling force not only crumbled the rocks, but reached out to knock Daisuke off of his feet. He skidded to a halt thirty feet away and fought to rise. But by the time he had climbed shakily to his feet again, Haruka's open palm drove a doubly powerful bolt of chakra into his abdominal cavity. Daisuke reeled as his innards rattled and squirmed in his body, and Haruka smiled in her victory. Haruka's eyes confirmed it; Daisuke was not going to be fighting for a long time.

Deactivating her Byakugan and closing Keisuke's Arms out of her tenketsus, she turned to walk back to the blind man, intending to give him an exultant "I told you so." In doing so, however, she opened herself to Daisuke's final act of desperation.

"You," rumbled the bone user, blood streaming from his mouth, "You will..." Haruka gasped in shock. _Shit! Why the hell hasn't he collapsed yet!_ She struggled for freedom, but the giant's meaty, bloody hands did not relinquish their hold.

"Hitoshirezu **shintou no jutsu!**" (Hidden Concussion Technique)

A kunai embedded itself in Daisuke's leg. The bone user had only enough time to blink before it detonated in a flash of brilliance, the chakra that Keisuke had compacted into it releasing itself violently. Daisuke, formerly of the Grave, fell to the ground, his left leg reduced to a minced scrap of meat.

Haruka landed facing Keisuke, glaring at him with a look that said, _why didn't you warn me?_

Keisuke smiled. "Behind you, Hyuuga-san."

Haruka nearly fell on her face. "A little late for that now, don't you think?"

"Well, I didn't have much of an advance warning, either. We can call it even now, I think."

Haruka was about to protest that it was most definitely _not_ even when Uzumaki Naruto dropped between them from the roof above, carrying a filth-ridden brigand under each arm. His grin was wide as he set them down, giving one of them a final kick to silence his struggles.

"Haruka nee-chan, that was awesome! I saw that last part while I was bringing down these two. I never saw a Kaiten like that, even from Neji! Where did you learn to do it?"

She could have taken more credit than she deserved, and wanted to after letting Keisuke imprison and then trick her, but she had some measure of modesty, so she resisted the temptation.

"Actually, Naruto-kun, I had a bit of help..."

Naruto smiled wider. "Hehe, yeah, I saw Keisuke do that shock wave thing with the kunai, too. You guys make an awesome team, Keisuke nii-chan, Haruka nee-chan."

Remembering the synchronization, Haruka had to agree that there were few times when she had felt that powerful.

"If you're done lavishing praise, Naruto, do you think you might be able to give me a leg up here? I may be joining Jiraiya-san on the sidelines for a while."

Naruto gave a hearty laugh and walked over to support his blind brother.

As they moved off into the night to help clean up the wreckage, Keisuke turned his eyeless stare towards Haruka. His sunglasses had been blown away during the battle, and his empty sockets now regarded her with more expressiveness than she thought possible. After a while, he opened his mouth.

"Haruka-san," he said, "Thank you. I had my doubts, but I'm ready to believe that you are an honorable person. I'm sorry for my earlier behavior."

A wave of satisfaction washed over Haruka. What she wanted to say was, _It's about time, you overgeneralizing bastard. _What she did say was, "I accept your apology. I'm ready to believe that you also have some sense of honor. Depart with my favor—I'll tell Hiashi that you are not a threat."

"Haruka-san, won't you come with us?" Jiraiya stepped out from behind a collapsed section of wall. "There is plenty of room in our company for one more, and I'm sure that Hiashi would agree that it would be wise to keep more _eyes_ on these two, ne?"

"Hey," Keisuke said, "Where was all the enthusiasm when _I _wanted to come along?"

"It's 'cuz Haruka's a woman, nii-chan." Naruto said. "We all know Ero-Sennin's _real_ reason for wanting her around..."

Jiraiya whacked his head, cutting him off. "Quiet, Naruto! And who's an Ero-Sennin?"

Haruka couldn't help but grin a little at that. Their energy was just much too catching.

"Jiraiya-san," she said, "I think I'd like that. I've been here for thirteen years. Maybe it's time that I moved on."

"And why not move on with our motley crew, huh?" Jiraiya said. He gave his own impression of the nice-guy pose.

Naruto returned Ero-Sennin's punch to the head, Keisuke sulked a little bit but was too tired to complain, Haruka's smile broadened, and the four of them walked (or in Keisuke and Jiraiya's case, hobbled) back to the hotel.

They had proven their worth this night. On the horizon, the sun brought their morning upon them.

> > > > > > > > > End Chapter 5> > > > > > > > > > > > 

**A/N: **Oh my god, nearly six thousand words this chapter. Well, I had to get all these pre-return chapters out of the way, and there's no time like the present, so I thought I might as well just knock it out in chapter five and move ahead to Konoha in chapter six.

It's been two weeks since my last update, so I expect all your reviewing muscles are rested. Let me have it!


	7. Interlude: Blind

**A/N: **Chapter six is nearly complete and will follow this interlude as soon as my final exams are over. Just wanted to make sure you had _something _to keep you busy while you waited for the reunion chappie. Big sankyuus to all of my faithful readers and reviewers.

Thus far, I've introduced the main players in the story, given them all basic drives and rudimentary history (with plenty of gaps to be filled in later, of course), and set the stage for the really juicy parts of the story. The chapters that follow will throw it all together, forming the intricate tangle of plot that is the main body of my story.

For some writers (like me), this is the part where one's nerves begin to build up, to the point where they begin to try too hard. Therefore, it is all the more beneficial for you, the reader, to offer your interpretations, opinions, and suggestions.

Reviews for this interlude are not important. What I really care about is having the questions that I've added at the end of the interlude answered by as many readers as possible. There are only seven of them, but each honest answer will greatly help me as I strive to complete this fiction. I'm the kind of writer who puts out what he takes in—the better feedback I get, the better my work becomes.

**Interlude: Blind**

Once again, the exquisite taste of the miso ramen performed its magical restoration upon Uzumaki Naruto. Ramen was his oldest friend, his most reliable source of solace in the world since he had learned to eat it.

_But you're not my only friend anymore, are you Miso? _thought the blond gennin happily. _I've got friends in Konoha, allies in Suna, in Wave, in Waterfall, in Snow and Bird and Tea... Hell, I even managed to find some out here in nowhere land._

_Even better, Keisuke nii-chan and Haruka nee-chan are great training partners! _ So good, in fact, that Naruto had been spending most of his time pestering them to practice with him, even causing Keisuke to almost collapse in exhaustion on a few occasions. While Keisuke may not have liked it much, Naruto was having the time of his life, improving to the point where he almost didn't know himself.

His mastery of Kage Bunshin was such that he had been able to make one clone withstand a direct Jyuuken strike on one or two occasions, and even the combined detection skills of Haruka and Keisuke could never tell which one was the true Naruto anymore.

He was able to call up Rasengan almost at will, to the downfall of many rocks and logs taking the place of Keisuke through Kawarimi no Jutsu.

He was growing ever more skilled at recognizing the correct move for a specific situation.

And, most notably, Haruka's Byakugan had helped him to find his tenketsu points and awaken his own Rokujuuyon Reiude, at which Keisuke had been both magnificently proud and sorely chagrined, knowing that he was going to be buying a large amount of ramen when he returned to Konoha. While this opened up a whole new range of possibilities for Naruto, Jiraiya was nearly back to his full health, meaning that the grueling cycle of pain and gain would soon resume.

However, Keisuke had promised him that they would find time to work on it, and Naruto had faith in that, at least. So it was that he found himself in a local ramen restaurant, contemplating his new strength.

He would improve this power and become stronger. Then he would bring back Sasuke-teme from that bastard, the Snake Sennin. And when that was done, he and Sakura would wipe out Itachi and Akatsuki so that Sasuke would never abandon the village again.

Naruto knew that this wasn't an easy goal. There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't imagine himself or someone he knew getting hurt or killed on this redemptive, retributive crusade. However, this was what he had vowed to do, and because he was Uzumaki Naruto, he would see that it was done even if he had to crush his own heart and soul to do it.

Hopefully, though, that wouldn't happen. After all, when all this was done, there was still the Hokage name to earn. And now he had even more reason to see the Hyuuga Clan reformed: Besides creating a better world for his friends Hinata and Neji, Haruka nee-chan was nice—it wouldn't make him happy if she had to live with that kind of system. This also wouldn't be easy, but Naruto knew that accomplishing it would yield a powerful satisfaction.

The doors were wide open now. Uzumaki Naruto was about to walk through them, with style.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Normally, Keisuke was not the brooding type, but recent developments had shattered his hold on his high spirits, so now he was brooding on the rooftop of the hotel. His brown hair, untended since departing his old hot spring home, had erupted into a wild, shaggy mane that was threatening to reach the junction of his shoulders and neck. Two or three new scars had etched themselves into his arm and torso. The orange light of the sunset gleamed on his new sunglasses, and his brows were contracted as though he was squinting. He had no need to squint because of the sun, of course; he did so in concentration.

Keisuke had been witness to wonders in this past month. Some of them had annoyed him to the point where he wanted to head up some remote mountain and break things for a few days. Some of them had so astounded him that he had, for the first time since unlocking the very convenient Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms, wished that he possessed eyeballs. And then there were plenty that raised questions that even now were making his head hurt.

For all this, however, Keisuke believed that the good aspects of his new existence outweighed the bad.

Naruto, despite being obnoxious and stubborn, as well as an unstable demon container, was a fiercely loyal and dependable friend, and Keisuke had noticed that even his obnoxiousness was declining by degrees. Keisuke was more than glad to be his surrogate big brother, and was looking forward to teaching Naruto all that he could about their mutual power between Jiraiya's lessons.

Jiraiya himself, while hopelessly perverted, was a (mostly) competent instructor and an excellent source of amusement for Keisuke whenever he had his little misadventures with women.

Haruka, though she had developed a habit of teasing and criticizing him over the last few days (vengeance for Keisuke's prior misdemeanors towards her, no doubt), was also shaping up to be a worthwhile companion and practice partner, whenever Keisuke could extricate himself from Naruto. She had agility that put him to shame, and chakra control that made him wonder whether she was hiding her own set of Ghostly Arms someplace. After a few matches, Keisuke had even begun losing to her about one out of every three times. It hurt his pride a little the first time, and Haruka, of course, had rubbed it in, but he had long since gotten used to being bested by her. After all, two wins of three isn't half bad.

They had tried the synchronization a few more times, as well, and their cohesion in this state made even Jiraiya flinch. When Naruto had suggested that Ero-Sennin try to take them on, the Toad Hermit had backed out, "to go take the meds" which by that time he had thrown away. They'd all had a chuckle over that incident.

These were good times, that was for sure.

But was it what Keisuke really wanted to be doing? When he had awakened in his tomb and escaped the serpent's lair seven years ago, he had had only two things that mattered in his sightless world: Pain, and the determination to find and exterminate the demon that allowed him to wake up to that pain. This drive had halted momentarily when he'd reached Konoha and met Naruto the first time, learning that there was more than pain left in the world. But then the drive had renewed itself when he had discovered what had become of the Hyuuga, children of his child. Keisuke had set out from Konoha that day with the purpose of finding his old tormentor.

It was a purpose that was never fulfilled, though, and he had gradually slowed down his constant travel to savor the flavor of the places he went, to drink in the evidence of continued happy mortal life in the world; in short, he had been seeking this demon for so long without any success that he had grown placid.

Now that he was on the move again, his old personal crusade had reentered his mind, gnawing on the toes of his new happy thoughts. Should he resume the search? For a long time, he sat and turned it over in his head before coming to his decision.

_What is it that's really important to me right now? _He asked.

His answer was a blunt kunai that would have struck him if one of his feelers hadn't caught it five feet away and triggered his dodging reflex. Climbing to his feet, he stretched his arms for perception and found Haruka standing thirty yards away.

"Behind you, Keisuke-san," she intoned with a smirk. They had been trading playful rear surprise attacks back and forth since the Daisuke incident. "Naruto-kun wanted to know if you'd be joining him tonight by the river at the usual time. He wants to go over his altered Reiude formation, but he worries that he may have overdone it this morning and wants to know if you're up for it."

Keisuke could read the teasing attitude in her aura and the tone of her voice as he dusted himself off, but he wasn't up for playing her game at the moment. Unfortunately, Haruka's eyes were not anything special at the moment, so she failed to understand that.

Still smirking, Haruka said, "So, are you going to make it, blind man? Or do you need to lean on my vision again?"

Sighing, Keisuke gave in to the abuse. "I don't think so, Hyuuga. As I recall, the last time I synchronized for your vision, you cut it off abruptly and let me fall fifty feet before I could get my Arms untangled to feel around again."

"That's what happens when you use up all those arms for seals."

"Wasn't that the whole point of the exercise, to see how effective the Kokuin could be if I didn't have to save any Arms for perception?"

"Well, you could have tried a little harder to stay in range for the sync."

"The same is true of you."

"No it isn't; I had a rock face on that side of me."

Exasperated, Keisuke thrust his hands into his pockets. "Fine, you win today. I'm not in the mood."

Haruka frowned. "Oh, don't give me that excuse. I know you've got plenty of futile argument left in you."

Keisuke shrugged, and moved to the edge of the roof. "Nevertheless."

"Alright, so you really are in a sour mood," said Haruka. "Well, your reflexes are fine, so you shouldn't have a problem meeting Naruto-kun this evening. I'll tell him that you will be there as planned."

In response, Keisuke gave a nod.

Haruka nodded back. "I expect you to come back in a better mood. If Naruto-kun's attitude doesn't put a spark back in you, then maybe I will have a monster to hand over to Hiashi. Nothing human can keep moping around with that kind of energy nearby." With that, she left.

Keisuke, however, remained on the roof a moment longer. _That's right,_ he thought, _I have a brother to live for... _

Old demons weren't important now, if they even existed anymore. Naruto had a concrete path ahead of him with clear checkpoints and a defined goal at its end, while Keisuke's old crusade had no established direction and no end in sight. And Naruto was youthful and exuberant, fun to be around, while Keisuke's solitary journey had been a thoroughly depressing experience by comparison. And all of this aside, Keisuke still owed Naruto for the blood that had granted him his life and new power to live it with.

As Keisuke leaped from the roof into the sunset and headed towards the river, he also started down the new road of his life—the one that ran parallel to the that of the blond, orange-clad Hokage-to-be whose life's blood he carried in his veins.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Hyuuga Hiashi sat once again in his home, looking slightly perplexed and holding a letter from his contact on the outside. It was much briefer this time.

_**Hiashi-sama, **_

_**The Kyuubi container and his party present no obvious danger. I am pursuing them.**_

_**--Haruka**_

_**> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > **_

The legendary Toad Sennin removed the last of his bandages and sprang to his feet. He grinned; everything seemed to be in perfect working order now.

_Good. Now we can get back to what we came out here to do..._

_**That wouldn't be paying another visit to the bathhouse and leaving Naruto exposed again, would it, JIRAIYA!" **_

The mighty Toad Sennin quailed beneath the second voice in his head. Little known among the common folk, Jiraiya had a conscience, which he was normally blind to, that liked to rear its head after an escape from a particularly bad misadventure. The name of that conscience?

Tsunade, Godaime Hokage-sama.

No, Jiraiya definitely would not be making that particular mistake again.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Orochimaru sat upon his high-backed chair and pondered the news that he had received. He had thought his old blind test subject to be no more. Seven years ago he had declined to pursue Keisuke because he felt it would be best to let the poor fool suffer and die in the wilderness and be consumed by beasts so that he could not be traced back to Orochimaru's facility. More pain for his escapee, no gain for his enemies.

But the blind man had not died, and now he was in league with the demon vessel that had sworn on his life to take his container away from him. To make matters worse, both of them were now under the protection of his old teammate, Jiraiya, who must surely be on his best guard now. Therefore, killing him was not possible at the moment. And it had turned out that both the blind man and the demon vessel were developing a power that neither had ever shown before, and which Kabuto had been unable to guage the full potential of. If this were allowed to continue...

> > > > > > > > > > > > End Interlude> > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

**Pre-chapter 6: Questions for the Readers**

With regards to the story as a whole:

1. Which of the OC's do you think is better written? Which one needs more work?

2. Which of the OC's do you want to see more of, and in what kind of situation do you want to see them?

3. Please order the canon characters that follow in the order of how well you think I have represented them (Best to least): Naruto, Hinata, Jiraiya, Sakura, Neji, Orochimaru

4. Which canon character(s) that I have not yet included or have included only very little would you like to have make an appearance?

5. Are there any pairings (OC or canon, doesn't matter) that you believe would make interesting background noise in the story?

6. Is the overall plot of the story to your liking? Please rate it on a scale of 1-10.

7. Is there any part of the story at all that you are particularly interested in seeing further developed? If so, name it!

Thanks for taking the time to answer. It really helps me out.


	8. C6: Naruto's Many Faces

**A/N: **My final exams are done, so it's time for me to get cranking on the story again. Please excuse me if my work seems unrefined; it's probably because I've had to crawl out of my totaled car. But no automobile accident can stop the Lifethane—Lacking Sight will continue!

Keisuke has been speaking to me in the back of my brain... he's got quite a few ideas. Feel free to add to my pool of ideas and insights within your reviews. :)

LOL Keisuke... I know you want to post now, lemme edit first. (One of those moments where I wish I had artistic skill just show I could show you the expression on his face right now...)

Well, my little puppets, I'm getting out the computer and playing with you again. Go forth, and entertain my readers!

**Chapter 6: Naruto's Many Faces**

The golden rays of the morning sun gently caressed the sleeping forest, coaxing it to life. In the trees, birds awoke and sang in tribute to the new day. Rodents and reptiles emerged from their burrows to resume their eternal game of eat-and-be-eaten. Predators yawned and stretched, readying themselves for the hunt.

On the well-worn trail wending east towards the sunrise, three travelers had packed their tents, broken their fast, and begun the last leg of their journey. Among their number walked a tall teenager with spikey blond hair clad in an orange and black jumpsuit, a taller man with short-cropped brown hair wearing black and green with mirrored sunglasses, and an older, muscular man in red. All of them were weary and rugged from their travels, but all had grins on their faces.

"Today's the day, isn't it?" It was not a question, but a reiteration of fact that the teenager spoke.

"Yeah, it is," replied the old ninja, "We'll reach Konoha by noon today. Plenty of time to see Tsunade and get reacquainted with the village."

The man in sunglasses smiled broadly. "Oh, if I know my little brother, here," he said, indicating the exuberant blond kid at the front of the pack, "He'll want to skip straight to the reacquainting."

"Heh, you know me almost too well, Keisuke," said the little brother in question. "It wouldn't be a proper reunion if the great Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's number-one loudest ninja, didn't make migraine-inducing light and noise upon entry."

Keisuke laughed a little. "No, I don't suppose it would. Just don't give any senile old fools a heart attack this early in the day."

The older man huffed, "And which senile fool might you be implying, Keisuke?"

"No one in particular, Jiraiya."

Naruto couldn't resist snickering a little. Everyone present knew that Keisuke had been referring to an incident that had taken place three weeks ago, when Jiraiya had announced that they were going home. The old Hermit had retired to his usual "research" to find an incredible harem already awaiting him on the men's side of the bath. However, no sooner had he fallen under the spell, than he was snapped back to reality, in which he learned that the harem was a masterfully crafted illusion developed by Naruto(with the help of Keisuke and, oddly enough, Haruka) and that the objects he had been groping were, in fact, a rock and an elderly man's right buttock. The resulting spasms that Jiraiya had exhibited had borne remarkable resemblance to the symptoms of an actual heart attack.

"Don't worry about it, Keisuke," Naruto said. "I'm smart enough to know there's a time and place for that kind of jutsu. Konoha's perverts are safe." _For now,_ he added silently, knowing that he'd have many opportunities to give the freaks what was coming to them later.

"Kind of a shame, though," he said, "Haruka-nee-chan is going to miss all the reunion fun..."

"She'll be along in good time," Keisuke assured him, "as soon as she finishes her business in Suna."

_That Suna business again, _Naruto thought. "Do you really think that the Akatsuki are going to target Gaara? They'd have to be pretty confident to take on an entire ninja village by themselves."

Jiraiya grunted. "If they are, then we need to know. If they have enough power to take Sabaku no Gaara..."

"Then they probably have enough power to try to take me," Naruto finished with a sigh. "I've heard it about, what, four times now? It's getting on my nerves." This definitely wasn't Naruto's favorite conversational topic. At the moment, he wanted to focus on all the fun he was going to have shocking his old friends with his explosive reappearance.

"I'm more worried about Haruka-nee-chan..."

"Haruka's a strong woman. Akatsuki or not, she'll find us, and she'll bring the information we need with her." Keisuke's tone was level and serious as he said this.

Naruto's eyes, however, had a mischievous gleam to them that erased any trace of seriousness from the situation. "Strong woman, huh, Keisuke? She must have beat you good that last round if you're praising her. She won't believe me when I tell her!"

Keisuke's face flushed a little. "Ah, geez... Look, Naruto, I'll buy you ten bowls of ramen if you never speak of it again." One of the stranger aspects of Keisuke and Haruka's friendly rivalry was that neither of them ever verbally acknowledged any positive quality exhibited by the other. Even if Haruka were to beat him one hundred times out of one hundred, Keisuke still wouldn't ever credit her. Likewise, whenever Haruka was beaten (which had begun to happen less and less as the two became used to fighting each other), she would never acknowledge defeat.

They had been this way since Haruka had joined them. Though they practiced with each other every day, grinned when they passed each other, and seldom argued, neither would be caught dead complimenting the other. Naruto thought it was strange, but as long as they weren't trying to kill each other, he was fine with it.

Still, that wouldn't stop him from having fun with them when they slipped up.

"Alright, Keisuke," he said, "I'll take the bribe today, since I've got bigger things on my mind. Watch yourself when Haruka-nee-chan comes back, though."

"Right..." Keisuke fought the urge to question Naruto on what he had planned for him when Haruka nee-chan came back. The kid's prankster gene had a habit of manifesting itself when Keisuke least wanted it to.

His struggle was interrupted by the voice of the Toad Sennin behind him. "So, Keisuke, what are you going to bribe _me_ with?"

"Ehehe..." Keisuke had the feeling that this would turn out to be quite an interesting day.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Hinata stood alone in the oak grove near the village's south wall. As she and her teammates usually did on their free days, she had come to practice, polishing the skills that had at last begun to earn her some respect amongst the Hyuuga elders—in particular, her father. Just three weeks previous, Hiashi, who had not shown more than the smallest scraps of care for his daughter early in her life, had finally acknowledged Hinata as "a fine young woman, and a fit heir to my place as clan head," before the council of elders, a memory which did not cease to make her smile.

It was earning her more than favor among her clan, though. Neji, though still head and shoulders above her in experience and skill, had begun to comment openly among their peers on how quickly she was progressing, with the result that the dark, shy girl was receiving many cheerful greetings where she previously had not. The influence of the Hyuuga prodigy, combined with Hinata's recent success in her missions and her emergence into the prime of her youthful beauty, had increased her reputation by leaps and bounds throughout the village.

Already, several young men had approached her, though their attempts at establishing a deep relationship had thus far all met—usually unpleasant—ends. If Kiba, who had taken to Hinata like an overprotective big brother as well as teammate, didn't scare them away, then Neji would take the young man in question aside to "discuss compatibility," after which the would-be suitor was never seen anywhere near the Hyuuga compound ever again.

Though she might have been a little embarrassed with the blunt manner in which Kiba and Neji handled the poor fools, Hinata was secretly glad to be rid of them; many of them were not even worth giving a second look by Sakura or Ino's book, many of those that were had some mental issues that needed to be addressed. There were those few who both looked and behaved presentable, and one or two even had genuine charm... but in all of them, no matter how good-looking or well-mannered, not a single one possessed the fiery spirit, the strength of will, the empathy that comes from a painful past, or the courage that one develops to live with that pain...

None of them had ever shown her how to stand up for herself, change herself, despite all she had been through...

None of them were ever going to merit the name of Hokage...

Hinata gave a small sigh, bringing a tinge of sadness into the bright, sunlit afternoon. Though her life had become better than it had ever been, without the presence of the one who had made it all possible for her it just did not have the same flair. Yes, life was good, but it was also less than it could have been for her, and Hinata knew it.

Yet she held hope; rumors of the Toad Sennin's imminent return—and with it, Hinata knew, _his_ return—had begun spreading in the village two days ago, a fact that Kiba had made sure she did not forget. In the absence of Naruto, the former Rookie Nine had found themselves without a class clown. In times where humor was deemed direly needed, Chouji and Kiba had—sometimes knowingly, sometimes not—taken up the slack admirably. With the recent rumors flying about, Kiba had taken to showing up to team functions occasionally in the guise of Konhagakure's number-one most surprising ninja.

When Hinata had asked him why he did it when the only ones who really found it funny were himself and their former sensei, Kurenai, Kiba had responded with a shrug and said, "I'm a little excited, I guess... None of us have seen the big idiot in almost three years, after all."

Kiba's mood seemed to reflect the moods of all their peers, as well... When Hinata passed them in the streets, she noted that Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Sakura were all in a much more chipper state than usual. At the same time, she noticed that the adults in town seemed on edge, as if bracing themselves against a coming winter. The Ichiraku noodle bar was staying open later these days, and the ramen there seemed to improve in quality, as if in anticipation of its favorite customer's jubilant return.

In fact, Konoha as a whole seemed to be holding its breath, all its many inhabitants clenching their jaws expectantly for the arrival of a single loudmouthed, blond-haired, teenage ninja.

While all this was going on, Hinata's peers—Kiba, Ino, and Sakura, in particular—went out of their way to mention Naruto and his party whenever she was in earshot. Whether it was meant as teasing or encouragement, Hinata did not know. However, she did know that it made her uncomfortable, and so she had thrown herself ever deeper into her training to escape it.

The problem now was that it was difficult to have team practice when your team hasn't arrived. Hinata resisted the urge to sigh and go home, instead opting to sink into her Jyuuken ready stance and begin her warm-up exercises without them. Flowing gracefully through her movements, controlling her chakra with precision, the Hyuuga heiress seemed to dance across the forest floor, and she made the leaves on their branches dance with her. Even Shino, who never openly admitted to experiencing an emotion, had conceded that watching Hinata's dance-like practice had moved him. His face had remained as expressionless as ever while he'd said this, but just the fact that he had said it spoke much for Hinata's graceful manner of combat.

The tall boy wearing orange and black in a nearby tree seemed to appreciate it, too. His face shone with a cheerful and impressed-looking expression as he lightly hopped down from the branch he'd been standing on.

"Wow, Hinata! I've never seen anyone move like that." His voice was remarkably similar to that of the Uzumaki Naruto that Hinata had known three years previously, if a little deeper. "Who taught you to move like that? Some kind of angel or forgotten goddess?"

She knew it wasn't _really_ him, but the likeness was so effective that she couldn't stop her face from heating up slightly. Hinata stiffened a little, rising out of her stance and turning to face the boy whom she presumed to be her teammate.

"Please, Kiba-kun, you know I don't like it when you do that," she said.

The smile faded from the boy's whisker-marked face. It was replaced by a narrow-eyed, confused look. Hinata marveled at how accurately her teammate was portraying the slightly comical facial expressions of a dumbfounded Naruto, and began to wonder a bit if Kiba was more interested in their blond comrade than he was telling.

Her silver-lavender eyes widened somewhat when she heard him ask, "Kiba? What, do I smell like wild dog or something? Maybe I should have bathed more carefully this morning..."

His words trailed off and his eyes closed in concentration, as if he were going into a bout of deep thought. These words, this expression, and his immediate jump to the inaccurate conclusion that she had called him "Kiba-kun" because of a completely mundane reason were very realistic "Narutoisms," worthy of the genuine article. What was more, Kiba had never tried to maintain the illusion once Hinata had asked him to stop. The situation was beginning to look very unlike what Hinata had first thought it was, and it was making her very nervous. As he shook off his apparent confusion and began to walk forward, instinct and force of habit made Hinata back slowly away and bring her fingers together in front of her.

"K-Kiba-kun," she said, feeling herself growing steadily more uneasy, "Please, stop. It isn't..."

"Funny?" the Naruto look-alike finished. A hurt expression was on his face now as he said, "What's not funny is you're not recognizing an old friend. It kinda hurts, after all the trouble I went to to get noticed around here..."

As he spoke, he continued to move towards Hinata until finally, as he trailed off, she had her back to an old tree. He brought one hand forward, resting it on the bark above her shoulder, leaning on the tree, and drew closer until their faces were mere inches apart. The pained smirk on his face and the expression in his cerulean pupils overpowered Hinata's better judgment. She began to think that maybe... just maybe... this was the real Naruto, and she was making him sad.

"Hinata," he said, "After all this time I thought I could count on you, if nobody else, to acknowledge me..."

No way! She couldn't be making him sad! After all the chances she'd missed to make him happy, she couldn't stand for it!

"N-Naruto-kun... I..."

But now a new expression had crossed the face of the boy she admired. It was no longer sad; on the contrary, it was a happier face than she could have imagined seeing. It was elated, triumphant, ecstatically happy.

Scary-happy, even.

Deranged-happy.

Evil-happy.

Suddenly Hinata's arms were pinned to her sides, her body bound to the old tree with strong wire. A kunai was in Naruto's hand and aimed straight at her exposed heart. His face, almost touching hers now, was the face of a murderer, with a dangerously sinister glint in his eyes. Hinata snapped out of her Naruto-induced trance too late; she was snared, and about to be killed without even throwing a single attack at her killer, because she had failed to see past a simple illusion.

"Here's a little message from the master who will crush your precious blondie and your village along with him: The Uchi..."

"**GATSUUGA!"**

A solid mass spinning at gale-wind force can be very painful to a human being if a direct collision occurs, as the Naruto impostor quickly learned that day. The mass in question slammed into him like a runaway cart, sending him flying head-over-heels into a rather large and solid rock formation. From the cyclone-style spin emerged the form of Inuzuka Kiba, looking extremely annoyed and more than a little roughed-up. Behind him, a large dog—named Akamaru by his wild-man of a master—had its nose to the ground, seeking out possible additional targets.

Insects swarmed toward Hinata from the trees above, alighting on the tree that she had been tied to. Within a few short moments, they had eaten through the wire that bound her, and she was free. As she shrugged off the last shreds of metal, Aburame Shino jumped lightly to the ground. He lifted his arms, silently commanding the Destruction Bugs who made their home within him. They left the tree and converged on the stunned Naruto look-alike, proceeding to eat away at him with a frenzy found nowhere else in the animal kingdom.

"As you may have guessed, this shinobi is not Naruto," he said. His ever-inflectionless voice hinted at light fatigue and a sense of urgency.

"That big-mouthed dunce," gasped Kiba, who had apparently spent a great deal of energy to arrive in time, "Even when he's gone, he can't stop making trouble for us..." He stopped speaking when Akamaru barked at him, signaling that he'd picked up a new target. Both dog and master sprinted off into the forest in pursuit.

Hinata, who had fully recovered her wits by this time, dusted herself off and tried to make sense of the situation. She turned to her bug-user teammate.

"Shino-kun, what's happening?"

Aburame Shino responded as emotionlessly as was his custom. "Very little is known about what is truly going on," he said. "Kiba and I were greeted by a person appearing to be Uzumaki Naruto. We were unable to discern anything unusual about him, either by Akamaru's nose or the perceptions of my bugs. We believed him to be the true Naruto, and did not question him. Even when several more of him appeared, we did not react; we assumed that it was some childish prank involving his Kage Bunshins."

He paused a moment, as if trying to put adequate words to his story without expressing too much feeling.

"Hinata, I find this somewhat disturbing. A dog's nose cannot be fooled by any normal shinobi illusion, and the bugs that make their hive in my body are supposed to be unmatched in skill at sensing friend from foe. Yet, for all our talents, we were fooled. Even the Byakugan, it seems, cannot see the truth behind this illusion."

Hinata flushed a little bit and looked away from Shino. She wasn't about to tell her teammate that she had not even attempted to use the Byakugan on the strange Naruto, but she couldn't help feeling a bit ashamed. Her eyes wandered to the impostor, and she saw that the bugs had finished their work. Shino called them back, and the two of them went over to examine the body. It was nothing out of the ordinary, if a little pale.

But Shino gave a nod and said, "No mistake. It's identical to the ones Kiba and I defeated."

Hinata looked at him, puzzled. "You mean, _all _of them looked exactly like this one?"

"Hai. Once the bugs had finished with them, they all looked as this one does now."

"This one does, too," said Kiba, who arrived behind them. He dumped the corpse unceremoniously next to the first one. It was bloody and had bite marks on it, and there were still patches of Naruto-esque skin left attached, but underneath all of that it was the same.

Shino nodded again. "Your theory may be correct, Kiba."

Hinata's face became very serious. "What theory is that, Shino-kun?"

The bug user pushed his sunglasses farther up his nose. "It is likely, judging from the sheer numbers that have appeared and the consistency of their appearance beneath the illusion, that someone has been mass-producing Uzumaki Naruto for some ill purpose in the village of Konoha."

_Mass-producing Naruto-kuns? _Hinata thought. For a moment, she suffered an involuntary daydream involving multiple Narutos in various states of mind with various "Narutoish" attitudes in various states of undress storming the Hyuuga compound, overpowering and winning the respect of her father, and proceeding to bring the light that is Naruto's way of life to the dreary existence of the heirs to the Byakugan.

"This isn't good," Kiba said, jerking Hinata out of her vision, "According to Kurenai-Sensei and Hokage-sama, there's only one person with the power or even the sinister kind of mind you need to do something like this..."

All of the members of team eight thought the same name.

_Orochimaru._

"We should hurry back to the village," Shino said. "If we were so easily deceived, then we cannot afford to make the assumption that others will not be fooled as well. Every person that Uzumaki Naruto has ever known could be in great danger."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Iruka was still having a difficult time believing that so many shinobi could so flawlessly transform themselves into, and effortlessly pass for, his favorite student. Granted, Naruto tended to be a predictable sort of guy in his everyday behavior despite the unpredictability in combat that made him such a wild card, but nobody he knew could be so convincing with a normal illusion. Unfortunately for him, he did not have much time to focus on his disbelief, as he was currently under attack from no less than twenty Naruto look-alikes, all of them possessing the skill of at least chuunin-level shinobi. Five more of them lay dead upon the ground with numerous shuriken in them, victims of Iruka's skillfully-set traps on the academy grounds.

Iruka was battered and winded, and much of his chakra was already depleted in self-defense and the defense of the academy students, who had just finished evacuating safely. They needn't have bothered, though; the Naruto-clones seemed to want to kill only Iruka. While this was probably best for the cadets, it didn't help the old instructor out at all.

"What's the matter, Iruka-sensei?" one of them chimed. "You can't be tired already. You always had the energy to rip on me whenever I played my pranks. What happened?"

Iruka grimaced. It might not have been authentic, but this Naruto looked real enough to sting him just a little. The boy was, after all, very special to him; he was like a kid brother and a son all rolled into one loud, blond package.

"You," he growled, struggling to put as much force as possible behind his voice, "Don't talk to me like you know me, you fraud!"

All of the Narutos present gaped at him, wide-eyed. "Iruka-sensei..."

Then they all hung their heads, and tears began to flow from their blue eyes. They continued to speak, each saying a few words of the same monologue.

"You were the very first..."

"Person to accept me..."

"For the person I..."

"Really was..."

As each one spoke, a change began to come over them all. Their eyes became blood-red, and their teeth and fingernails began to elongate into serrated fangs and razor-sharp claws. The rage on their faces shone through to Iruka's mind like a flame on the blackest night. And every last one of them was radiating the emotion that Iruka had never expected to feel from his favorite pupil: hate.

Spitting, violent, killing hate.

"For breaking my trust..."

"For leaving me alone..."

"To confirm my existence..."

"_**I'll rip you apart!"**_

This last phrase was echoed by every Naruto-clone in front of him as they all charged forth, their eyes aglow with killer intent. Iruka was surrounded. He could neither escape nor fend off such a concerted attack, and reinforcements were reportedly being held up by other Narutoan invaders. With no way out, Iruka closed his eyes and braced himself for death.

"Who do you think I am, Sabaku no Gaara! I'm not so weak, to have to 'confirm my existence' that way!" The voice, coming from above, caught the look-alikes completely by surprise. Halting their attack, every head turned to look up at the roof of the main building, where there stood a tall, wild-looking blond in an orange-and-black jumpsuit. Their hesitation was all that was needed for his trap to work. Below them, a large and elaborate seal began to glow eerily white.

"**Reiude Ninpou: Chiri Boufuuwana!"** (Ghostly Arm Secret Art: Dust Storm Snare)

Some invisible force seemed to run through or across the seal, and the air immediately began to swirl around the impostors, blindingly thick with dust and dirt. None of them could move without being caught in the wind or choking on dust.

The real Naruto took the opportunity to leap down from his perch and grab his old sensei from the ground, moving the exhausted chuunin out of harm's way. Once they were a safe distance from the dirty maelstrom, Iruka was able to get a good look at his rescuer. He needed no second hint; the telltale gleam in the eyes, the slightly overconfident, excited grin, the battle-eager posture... no doubt about it, this one was Iruka's true protege.

"Naruto! Your timing couldn't have been better!" A smile crossed his bloodstained lips. All near-mortal injury aside, the boy's return meant the return of much grief, and also much excitement, to the village, and to Iruka's (for a ninja) simple life.

"Not the dead last I used to be, huh?" Naruto's grin covered the entire lower third of his face.

Iruka didn't respond. Instead he asked, "What kind of ninjutsu was that? Surely Jiraiya-sama didn't teach a skill _that_ unique?"

It didn't seem that Naruto's smile could have gotten any bigger, and yet at Iruka's question, it did.

"Naw. A really old friend taught it to me. But here's something that Ero-Sennin _did_ teach me..."

He ran his hands through a set of rapid, complicated seals, ending with the sign of the tiger. _No way, _Iruka thought as Naruto took a huge breath, _no way he's going to..._

"**Katon: Karyuu Endan!"** (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Missile)

A gargantuan plume of flame leaped from Naruto's mouth, searing towards the trapped impostors. The flames were picked up by the wind, and spread to the encompass the entire area of the trap. For a moment, Iruka worried that such a powerful technique, one once used by the third Hokage himself, might burn down the academy. But the intense wind contained it all, and the only things burned were dust and dirt and Naruto wannabes. When all was quiet again, Naruto turned to his former teacher, gleefully waiting for praise.

Iruka, dumbfounded by the new Naruto's display of firepower, failed to give any words. But the chuunin and jounin who had arrived during the fireworks display did.

"Geez, Naruto, didn't you learn anything _subtle_ in your three years away? You've destroyed all the evidence of the invaders."

Naruto turned around to see three familiar faces. Tenten had been the speaker; with her were the other members of the old Team Gai, Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji. All of them had grins on their faces; Tenten had feigned annoyance, but all three of them had expected nothing less from Uzumaki Naruto. Like the rest of their comrades, they'd given up hope on him learning much subtlety, and had put their faith in his ability to make up for it with his unpredictability and his overly flashy fighting style.

Naruto flashed them his trademark foxy grin and replied, "Ah, there'll be plenty more. Anyone who goes to the trouble to make this much trouble will definitely make a lot more trouble... or something like that."

Hyuuga Neji was pleased to have the buffoon back, though he said nothing. It was the same old Naruto: A fighting genius, but otherwise bordering on total idiocy. Yet Neji's eyes discerned a new aspect to the blond ninja. The old Naruto might have asked why any evidence was needed at all as long as the targets were eliminated, and then become angry with himself when told why... this Naruto had merely laughed and asserted his belief that not all was lost. He was still Naruto in essence; carefree, loud, and lacking any sense of subtlety, only now he was showing signs of a little maturity.

_Good,_ he thought, watching as his old teammate, Lee, exchanged "youthful" greetings with Naruto, _he'll be much more suitable this way..._

Activating his Byakugan to scan for any surviving invaders, Neji spotted another welcome surprise; Team Kurenai was moving their way, coming to investigate the huge explosion of flame. This both interested and worried him. He was very interested in seeing what Naruto thought about the effects of Hinata's work with him, among other things; he was extremely proud of much his help had done for his cousin's development. At the same time, however, he was worried about Hinata; after three years away from him, what would her reaction be to Naruto's sudden reappearance?

_Well, we'll find out rather quickly, won't we?_

Indeed, they did. Kiba was the first to spot him. Unfortunately, the exceptionally bad quality of his day, combined with the number of bruises he'd acquired and the number of Narutoan invaders he'd had to pummel, caused him to immediately assume the worst.

"Agh!" he cried, "Another one! How many can there possibly be!"

He charged the unsuspecting blond with Akamaru at his side, whirling into the Gatsuuga with all his waning force. Without sufficient warning, Naruto was blown forty yards straight backwards. Before anyone could muster the wit to shout a warning, Kiba renewed his attack, coming at Naruto on all fours.

This time, however, Kiba's attack was parried. A thick tendril of blue chakra lashed out in front of Naruto from behind his back, blocking Kiba's right arm, while four more held the big dog at bay. Another four remained behind Naruto, ready to parry anything more that might come his way. Cursing, Kiba threw a foot at his head, but this Naruto caught with his hand.

"What the hell?" Kiba asked, twisting out of Naruto's grip and landing on his feet ten yards away.

"Hehehe..." Naruto said, beaming with pride, "How d'ya like my new specialty, Kiba? The Rokujuuyon Reiude, Tomoshibi no Kyuubi!" (Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms, Nine Tails of Light)

Neji's Byakugan revealed a wealth of information about this new maneuver... The Hyuuga prodigy was shocked to see that the nine "Tails of Light" were each made of four thin strands of chakra-carrying tendrils, emerging from different tenketsus across his body and woven together into thicker bands. What was more, the strands that made up the "Tails" were not the only strands; several more flickered out from the rest of his tenketsus, apparently unused. Whatever this technique was, Neji could see that Naruto was not using it to its full potential, but this realization did not negate the amazement that the potential he _was_ using generated.

"Damn it," Kiba swore. "You're not like the others. What the hell are you?"

Iruka stepped forward. "Kiba, it's alright. This one really is..."

"Uzumaki Naruto, of course. Don't tell me you forgot your number one most surprising ninja! Or has the kid been lying about his 'amazing reputation' the whole time?"

Neji frowned. He'd been so busy watching things here that he'd allowed this unknown shinobi to approach them uncontested. He was about to go and question the newcomer, and to fight him as a jounin of Konoha should if he proved unfriendly, but his uncertainty was dispelled by Naruto's response.

"KEISUKE! You missed all the action, nii-chan. What were you and Ero-Sennin doing back there!"

Looking again with his Byakugan, Neji could see that this man seemed to possess the same projected chakra strands that Naruto did. His sense of amazement increased as he watched the strands sweep through the air at a rapid rate, feeling out objects, exploring their surroundings. This man appeared to utilize the ability more fully, using the strands as a sensory organ when he wasn't using them for something else.

"Easy, kid. I just had to help the old fart get his day-planner sorted out right. Hard to believe how easily he mixes up his priorities."

Now Neji was curious. Naruto addressed this man as a brother, yet he had never been seen before anywhere in the village, as far as Neji's memory went. He could tell that the man had some considerable skill in the secret arts from the way he held himself, but his easy-going attitude and casual reference to the famous Toad Sennin of Konoha implied that he wasn't a threat... at least on the surface.

"Anyway, Naruto," the stranger, Keisuke, continued, "Nice kaboom. Care to introduce me to your friends?"

Naruto was more than happy to oblige. With gusto, he introduced Keisuke to Neji, Lee, Tenten, Iruka, and Kiba, saying hello himself to each in turn. When he reached the blue-haired, red-faced girl at the back of the group, however, he was at a loss for words.

"Keisuke, this is...! Uhm... huh." _Who IS that girl? I've never seen her around before..._

Keisuke, however, didn't appear to need any introduction. He stepped closer to her, and Neji could see as he swept his chakra strands over her, feeling out her shape, her aura, her posture. Within a moment of concentration, Keisuke smiled.

"Hyuuga Hinata," he asked, "Isn't it? I thought we'd meet again..."

Neji looked at Naruto—he, along with a number of their comrades, had been wanting to see this moment for a long while. He smiled smugly when he saw the awed look on the blond teenager's face. Even without the Byakugan, he could tell exactly what Naruto was thinking:

_This... this is HINATA? _

_Job well done, _Neji thought. The smug smile wouldn't leave his face for some time. _Hinata-sama, you've grown so much, he's speechless. _

Keisuke also smiled. _Kid's been so wrapped up in learning his Rokujuuyon Reiude that he hasn't stopped to think about all the good things that might be going on back home. _

Hinata finally fought down her nerves and dropped her hands to her sides. This fidgeting habit was something she'd have to work harder on kicking. '

"Ano, Naruto-kun? Are you alright?"

It was a good question. Naruto was beginning to look less like himself and more like a statue. Fortunately, it was enough to jar him back to himself in time to form a relevant reply.

"Heh... yeah, Hinata, I'm fine," he said. "Better than ever! Keisuke and Ero-Sennin turned me into a ninjutsu powerhouse!" He was mostly himself again now: loud and infectiously jubilant. As he turned to introduce Keisuke to Shino, however, there was an undercurrent in his thoughts that was having trouble finding its way out of his brain.

_Wow. Hinata's changed... a lot. _As he finished the introduction, he added the afterthought, _I like it._

As soon as Keisuke finished shaking hands with Shino and both of them had pushed their sunglasses back farther up their noses, Iruka spoke up.

"Hey, Naruto! You've been gone a long time, and I'm sure you're tired from all that walking... how about I treat us all to some ramen? It'll be a great opportunity to relax and tell us a few stories. The elite should just be finishing up the last of your look-alikes, so we can go now. What do you say?"

Naruto smirked, and turned an evil eye towards Keisuke. "Oh, I don't think you have to treat us, Iruka-sensei. I've got a few favors left to collect..."

"Eighty-five of them!" Keisuke groaned. _I deserve it. I knew those ramen bribes would come back to bite me on the ass one day..._

N-0234 ran full-out away from the village of Hiding-in-Leaf, knowing full well what would happen if he were caught. The Konoha interrogators wouldn't be so bad, he knew, compared to what would happen after. Once the Leaf was through with him, Danzou's contacts would arrange to have him "transferred to another holding facility..." and there the real pain would begin. They'd feed him to the Uchiha, and he'd die screaming. He'd seen it happen; he had no desire to experience it first-hand.

So he ran. The face-copying jutsu would weaken in a few days, and he could return to his natural form, find a nice village to hole up in, and live in moderate safety for the rest of his unnatural life. That was the plan, anyway.

But alas, such plans have a tendency to go disastrously awry at the most inconvenient times. N-0234 tried to duck into a bush to hide from the shinobi party, but he was much to slow and clumsy—one of them heard him. Veins popped out around her eyes, and she looked right through the bush and saw him there. With speed born of desperation, he charged the woman, fist cocked.

Without missing a beat, however, she swept a leg out, tripping him. He began to fall... right into the woman's open palm. The velocity provided by the fall, coupled with the chakra that the woman spiked into his system, caused the blow to be very painful and knockout-inducing. Thus was N-0234 defeated with a single shot.

Before he lost consciousness, N-0234 could hear the woman exchanging words with her companions.

"Eh! Naruto?"

"...No, Sakura-san. It's just a copy. A very convincing illusion, but still not the genuine article. The true Naruto-kun should be back in the village by now. Sakura-san, Temari-san, do either of you have any rope?"

"I think there was some in Kakashi-sensei's pack. I'll check."

"Please don't wake Kakashi-san, though. He had it very rough back in Suna."

"Right, Haruka-san."

> > > > > > > > End Chapter Six> > > > > > > > > > > 

**A/N: **There's your chapter six. It's taken me forever to get back on track, but now that I'm there, you can expect much better from me. Ja ne!


	9. C7: Questions

**A/N:** Now's the part where some of my readers will scream for fluff and others will scream for story progression with more ass-kickings, and some will scream for both. If your part doesn't show up right away, bear with me—this story should have enough of both before it's over. If I'm missing anything, please inform me immediately so I can get it in here before we leave Konoha again. :P

So... the story. Naruto back in town, with Keisuke. The former is making the latter pay for eighty-five bowls of ramen at Ichiraku. Haruka, Kakashi, Sakura, and Temari are on their way to Konoha from Suna, with a Naruto-clone prisoner in tow.

I'm stricken with a sudden bout of summer boredom. Let's play a game, my friends. I'll write the chapter in one evening—eight hours—and not edit it. You read through it, and at the end you'll send me a review or PM including the words, "WHERE WAS THE Blank> !" Person with the most unique or entertaining response wins my eternal service in the literary field. (Yes, I admit it; this is a lame attempt to give myself something to do on my long security shifts.)

**Chapter Seven: Questions**

Ichiraku Ramen had not had so many customers at one time since the introduction of Teuchi's "Diet Ramen" three years previously, and even then there had not been quite so many. Fortunately, the shop had been able to expand itself to nearly three times its original size in recent months, and the new tables and reupholstered bar stools just barely fit the large group inside. Old man Teuchi had closed the store to additional customers; it did not seem like this little private party would be going anywhere fast. The tall man in sunglasses was still shoveling out money for the ramen as fast as the party could eat it.

If there was such a thing as bliss, Naruto was very near to it. His stomach was happy to have its fourth bowl in it, his spirit was happy to have exercised its growing power for all to see, and his soul was happy to be surrounded by his friends again. They crowded around him, commenting on his new attire (Ino had happily scoffed at the "tacky, stealth-compromising" shade of orange while exhibiting a smile of exceptional caliber), laughing at his stories about the illustrious Jiraiya, marveling at the tall man with the rapidly-emptying wallet as Naruto sang his praises, and asking questions about Haruka and about all the new tricks he had learned. In particular, they asked about the flashy, unique jutsu involving the powerful chakra "tails."

"Well, Keisuke knows more about it than I do," he said, his mouth full of noodles. He took a moment to swallow before continuing. "I only _really _got the hang of the Tomoshibi no Kyuubi a few months ago. It was hard enough trying to learn the Rokujuuyon Reiude in between Ero-Sennin's sessions."

Naruto suddenly experienced a sensation of awe as he realized how many sets of eyes were focused on him. He'd known that people would want to know about the Reiude, but he'd never expected _anyone_ to be this attentive to him in his entire life. Not that he minded; it definitely felt like something he could get used to. Filling his voice with as much pride as he could, he kept speaking, the ramen before him temporarily forgotten.

"We're not really sure exactly what the Reiude is. Keisuke thinks it might be some emerging type of Kekkai Genkai jutsu, but neither of us can tell. My hopes are high, though... If it is, nobody's going to be able to forget me!"

_If it is,_ thought Neji, seated at a table nearby with his teammates, _then he's going to find himself in the spotlight, that's for sure. But he's also going to find out just what kind of burdens the possessors of bloodline-specific jutsus must assume. If he lives to have children, they'll have to be trained in its proper use, how to conceal it from enemies that would eliminate or steal it... In short, Uzumaki Naruto will have figure out how to manage a Kekkai Genkai clan system._ The idea didn't sound so bad... if one did not take into account the fact that on the average day, Uzumaki Naruto appeared to have little else on his mind besides eating ramen, finding his lost teammate, and learning to become the best shinobi in the village, for the village's own protection. Noble goals, the latter two, but they wouldn't help to keep a powerful bloodline limit technique under control.

_And Uzumaki doesn't seem to have any desire to learn anything else at the moment, _Neji thought. Watching the laughing blond a moment longer, the Hyuuga prodigy came to a decision. _As much as it still pains me to admit it, I still owe that happy idiot. _Images of his younger self in the dirt before all of Konoha in the Chuunin examination, learning a painful lesson from a dropout who made his own fate rather than resigning himself to it filled his mind. _If this "Rokujuuyon Reiude" is what we think it is, then I'll teach Naruto a few lessons in return._

One table over, Neji's cousin had been fairly quiet. Hinata had laughed along with the others at Naruto's tales of Jiraiya's misadventures, and listened with the same curiosity as everyone else to his rough explanation of his new powers, but she had not said a word herself since they had arrived. She now sat, slightly pink-faced and wide-eyed, contemplating all that she had seen and heard.

Uzumaki Naruto had grown to be all that Hinata had hoped he would be. He was still the high-spirited, tough-talking, orange-wearing kid that she had admired three years ago. He still cherished a dream of becoming the Hokage and protecting the village, still had the indomitable instinct to push forward, no matter the cost to himself. His inner strength, the strength that truly endeared him to her, was strong as ever. But now, Uzumaki Naruto actually possessed much of the outward strength that he had been striving to obtain when she had last seen him. His "flashy" display near the academy earlier that morning had been a true wonder, coming from so young a person. Jiraiya's training had, apparently, paid off extremely well.

But it was this "Rokujuuyon Reiude" technique that was most catching her attention, and the attention of their peers. She had taken a quick look with the Byakugan at him when they'd arrived at the restaurant, but she hadn't been able to see anything unusual then. The strange "arms" that continuously protruded from Keisuke's tenketsus seemed to have retracted, in Naruto's case.

Their mark, however, still remained burned into her teammate's memory.

"Argh, Naruto," groaned Kiba, "Those 'tails' you have... like hitting a damn brick wall..."

"They ought to be," Naruto beamed, grabbing his fifth bowl of ramen, "Since it takes more than half of the Arms to make them. Four arms per 'tail' and nine 'tails' is... what, thirty-six Arms out of sixty-four? Not a whole lot left over for trap seals and other stuff... so yeah, it costs me something."

Once some of the group had gotten over their shock at Naruto's sudden knowledge of multiplication tables, they proceeded to murmur softly to themselves in various states of mild awe. Hinata, however, had a different thought pattern going through her head.

"Nine Tails..." she whispered, "Tomoshibi no Kyuubi... Naruto-kun?" She raised her voice to an audible level as she said his name, seeking his attention.

"Huh?" came the intelligent reply as the blond turned her way. She watched as his eyes settled on her, widened a little, then returned to normal as he appeared to shake something out of his head.

_Damn, _he thought, _I'm still having trouble remembering that Hinata looks like this now... _Throwing off his minor amazement more quickly this time, Naruto settled back into himself.

"Yeah, Hinata? What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering... the 'tails' technique is very good... very creative..." _and cute, in a way... and generally incredible..._ "But I was wondering, Naruto-kun... why nine of them?"

She could see Naruto's face pale a little at these words, and wondered what she could have done to produce that reaction. Hinata was about to continue questioning him, but Shikamaru beat her to it.

"I've been wondering about that, myself," he said. "It's a very creative jutsu, that's for certain. What's most interesting about it is the way it seems to allude to the nine-tailed fox demon which almost annihilated Konoha."

Several people glanced at Shikamaru's bold statement. Many of them had been wondering about that, themselves, but Shikamaru had been the first to act on his suspicions. As everyone's eyes settled back on Naruto, Hinata could sense that the blond was beginning to get a little bit uncomfortable.

"I'm not saying it's all bad, Naruto," he continued, "But I'm curious to know what might have been running through your head, conscious or subconscious, that inspired you to take on the semblance and, partially, the name of that beast."

Naruto seemed as though he'd been backed into a corner. Hinata could see that gears were turning in his brain, and he had the look of a stressed man attempting to make up an answer that would satisfy his friends without giving away the truth. It lasted only about two seconds, but that was more than enough time for her to discern that there was more to the story of this jutsu than Naruto was about to tell.

"Well, with a name like that," he said, the big grin returning to his face, "You can't really expect anybody to ignore it, can you?"

Most people in the room seemed to buy his explanation, and they returned to their meals happily, some of them reengaging in excited conversation. But all over the restaurant Hinata could see the faces of those who seemed to know better. Shikamaru and Neji, like her, had noticed the discomforted expression and caught his frantic search for a good lie. Others though, such as Iruka-sensei and old man Teuchi and the newcomer, Keisuke, exchanged unmistakable silent communication in the form of grave, slightly sad smiles.

_What is Naruto-kun keeping from us?_

A knock at the door ended her chain of thoughts. Teuchi moved to intercept the newcomers, indicating that the shop was closed, but stopped when he recognized the ANBU masks. Bowing to them, he moved aside to let them pass. They strode into the center of the room, where the eyes of everyone present fell upon them. The leader unrolled an official-looking scroll and proceeded to read.

"By order of Godaime Hokage, we ANBU are instructed to take Uzumaki Naruto and his guest, Keisuke, to the executive office in Hokage tower."

Sighing in relief, Keisuke slipped his now-empty wallet into his pocket.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Shizune opened the door and stood aside for the Hokage's guests to pass. She gave Naruto a big smile, happy to see him and witness his great development, but said nothing. This was official village business, and she had to remain silent, as was procedure... at least until Naruto shattered all pretense that this was business as usual with his unquenchable rebelliousness.

As the two men came to a halt before the great desk, her superior, the lord of all the ninja in the village in Konoha, raised her head, grinned broadly, and opened the meeting in her usual diplomatic manner.

"I am Konohagakure's Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. It gives me pleasure to welcome you both back to the village."

"It is an honor to be welcomed here, Hokage-sama. Your reputation, and the reputation of Konoha, precedes you, even in the remote parts of the world from whence I come." The stranger bowed low in reverence to Tsunade. Shizune marveled at the grace he had for such a tall man, and more so at his apparent ease in a diplomatic setting; not all ninja had such traits.

As Uzumaki Naruto proceeded to demonstrate. "Aw, can the formalities, Baa-chan. You should know better around me."

"And you should know better than to talk like that in front of your superiors, brat," Tsunade said. Then she swept around the desk and came to stand before him, a huge grin prominent on her mien. Like many in the village, she was pleased to see him back.

"Jiraiya has already made his report. I thought I'd bring you in here to make sure there was nothing that he 'missed' in his excitement at being back home." Grins on both sides turned sinister, knowing the kind of thing that the Toad Sennin was likely to 'conveniently forget.' However, Naruto was feeling merciful today, so he decided to keep his mouth shut for now. He'd get a little more blackmail out of Ero-Sennin before he blabbed.

Tsunade wasn't pleased at her lack of reason to smash Jiraiya, but was too glad to have Naruto back to care at that moment. She turned to the stranger, whom Shizune presumed to be the Keisuke from Jiraiya's report, and began to question him.

"Keisuke of the Grave, correct?"

"Speaking, Hokage-sama."

"Jiraiya told me that you are skilled in the shinobi arts. He reported that you fought alongside him many times during your travels, and that you have, on some occasions, handled multiple journeyman-level ninja."

"That is accurate, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade appeared to be scrutinizing him very carefully, though what she was searching for exactly, only she knew.

"Is it also true that you have defeated the A-Ranked renegade ninja, Daisuke of the Rotting Blood gang?"

Keisuke's face twitched a little at the memory of the annoying bone tank, but he kept his composure.

"I take partial credit for the destruction of Daisuke, yes. My power enabled his defeat, and the killing blow was mine, but I alone was not equal to the task."

Tsunade paused a moment, considering what she had heard.

"You're honest, at least," she said. "A quality you don't always see in shinobi without a village affiliation."

"Why deceive when deception can serve no purpose, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade smiled again. "Indeed." She walked back around her desk and returned to the comfort of her chair. "Uzumaki Naruto! You are hereby restored to full active duty. Since both Kakashi and Sakura are away on another mission at present, you may spend your time as you wish until called for."

Naruto gave an invigorated salute. "All right, Tsunade Baa-chan!" Tsunade nodded and then addressed Keisuke.

"Keisuke of the Grave, I welcome you again to our village. Please feel free to treat Konoha as your home for as long as you wish."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Also, because Jiraiya has vouched for you, and I have no doubt that Naruto would if I asked him to, I would like to extend you an offer of work—as a shinobi under my command."

Both Keisuke and Naruto balked at this. They had talked among each other about possibly getting Keisuke accepted into Konoha's ranks, but Keisuke had not expressed any confidence that this would happen—Hidden shinobi Villages generally did not tend to hire outsiders, lest they be spies or assassins from other countries.

"Are... are you certain, Hokage-sama? You haven't known me more than five minutes..." Keisuke was uncharacteristically bashful. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Are you at all _un_certain of your ability to serve this village with honor and loyalty?"

Keisuke exhaled deeply and set his face straight. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Good." Tsunade withdrew a stack of papers from her desk drawer. "Fill these out, and then report to training area seventeen on the date indicated. One of my Jounin shinobi will be there to serve as your examiner."

Naruto piped up. "Examiner, Baa-chan?"

"Yes, of course," replied the Hokage. "It's obvious that Keisuke is at least a Chuunin-level shinobi. However, we do not have enough evidence of his higher levels of performance to promote him to the Jounin level right away. The examiner will fight him, and if he performs well enough, then the examiner will recommend him to me for promotion. Once it's done, he'll get his Hitai-ate headband and his vest and we'll be ready to use him in the field."

Naruto grinned wide and said, "So, a test, huh? You'd better not fail it, Keisuke, or I'm never going to let you live it down." Keisuke restrained himself from smacking his little brother upside the head and bowed deeply to Tsunade.

"I am honored that you put so much faith in me, Tsunade-sama. I accept your offer gladly."

Tsunade rearranged the paperwork on her desk, picked up her pen, and resumed her daily workload. It was quite large; on a less joyous occasion, she might have grumbled over it.

"That'll be all, you two. Dismissed! Shizune, please show Keisuke to the human resources department downstairs and see to it that he gets himself some decent housing."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Hatake Kakashi woke from his slumber feeling completely drained and badly sore. He could remember very little of the events of the past few days. He knew that they had left Suna partially victorious, the Kazekage—Gaara of the Desert—saved at the expense of a venerable and wise old woman's life, but the Bijuu known as Shukaku having been taken despite their best efforts to thwart Akatsuki's plans.

He remembered that Hyuuga Haruka, a woman that had joined them early in the fight and been a great assistance to the entire effort, had volunteered to escort Kakashi home, along with Sakura and the young Jounin from Suna, Temari. He also remembered a brief period of wakefulness in which the group had suddenly been attacked by a renegade appearing to be Naruto, his former Gennin student. He hadn't had a chance to see how that encounter had ended before sleep had taken him again.

Finally able to stay awake for longer than a few moments, Kakashi silently resolved (not for the first time) to forever after be much more conservative when using his Sharingan eye.

The other occupant of the room saw him stirring feebly, and came to his side. Squinting in the bright light, Kakashi could make out the form of Haruka standing over him. He made an attempt to raise his head, but Haruka stopped him.

"Save your strength, Kakashi-san," she said. "You're going to need it to recover from the strain of using your Sharingan, among other grievances." Held fast by both her kind intent and her firm grasp, Kakashi complied. However, he could not relax his curiosity.

"The Naruto copy that charged us," he said, "What happened to it?"

"Ah, you were awake for that?" Haruka asked. Her expression was apologetic. "I tried to keep that quiet, seeing as how you needed your rest..."

"That's all right," Kakashi returned, "What happened to it?"

Haruka heaved a sigh. "The clone did not remain a clone for long. After a day, it lost that shape and returned to its original form."

Kakashi pondered. "Was its true form anybody that you or Sakura recognized?"

"No. It was pale and nondescript. Neither of us could remember anyone like him."

"I see," Kakashi said. Well, no help there.

"Have we reached Konoha?"

"Hai, Kakashi-san."

"So the impostor is being interrogated."

Haruka nodded. "Tsunade-sama asks you not to worry. Morino Ibiki is seeing him as we speak.

"Hm," Kakashi said, satisfied. Ibiki would get the truth out of the little worm, whatever he had to do.

For a moment, they were silent. Both of them were wondering the same thing: When the true identity of the culprit was determined, and the name of his superior dug up, would it be just some random troublemaker? Or would something or someone more sinister be behind this? Thoughts of the dark Snake Sennin and his favorite apprentice as well as of Akatsuki agents made Kakashi cringe. For two of their greatest enemies to strike one after another in such rapid succession...

"Naruto-kun and Keisuke arrived only a day before we did," Haruka said, breaking the silence. "It seems that Keisuke is going to be accepted as one of the shinobi here, and they'll be testing him for Jounin level within a week."

Kakashi didn't reply verbally, though his uncovered eye widened in surprise. He knew as well as anyone else how rare an occurrence this was. Yet he did not question it; he knew Jiraiya, and trusted his judgment. That, and Naruto tended to pick good people to befriend.

Instead he asked, "Who will be testing him?"

"Tsunade-sama didn't say."

"Ah."

"It might have been interesting, Kakashi-san, if you were well enough to do it; after all, both of you have special abilities that you were not born with."

Kakashi could not nod, but he made an effort to show assent. "The Sharingan... and this Reiude that you've told me about."

"Hai. It would have been very intriguing, I think, to see how those two matched each other."

Kakashi wondered only a moment, and then it clicked. "To see how Naruto's ability might compare to Sasuke's... right?"

Haruka's turn came to widen her eyes. "Your powers of insight are as good as I've heard," she said. "Naruto-kun is a good young man, as I've learned from my two years in his company, but I do often wonder about this Uchiha Sasuke that he sometimes talks about. From what I've heard, he could be very dangerous."

"Indeed he could be," Kakashi said. "Naruto and Sasuke share a bond not uncommon among boys their age. They are the fiercest of rivals outwardly. But unspoken between them is a bond of deep friendship."

Haruka stared at him as he went through his monologue. Naruto had only told her the bare bones about Sasuke's involvement in his life. It seemed that it was a painful memory to talk about, or else Haruka would know more already. She cared for the boy as something halfway between a mother and a sister, and knew he'd had a hard life, but she hadn't even dreamed that he could have gotten himself into a situation so painfully complicated.

"Both of them have led extremely painful lives up to this point. Both are striving to be stronger. Both possess incredible powers. But the similarities end there. Naruto is a class clown, a pariah who fights with the Rokujuuyon Reiude and the strength of Yondaime's legacy. Sasuke is an avenger, a survivor who fights with the Sharingan and strength born of lust for revenge."

Kakashi paused to let his body recuperate before finishing. "Inevitably, one of them must defeat the other decisively. But nobody has seen Sasuke for three years, and who can say what this Reiude technique will do for Naruto? We can't predict from their different drives alone which one is stronger."

"So all we can do," Haruka took over for the exhausted Jounin, "Is put our faith in Naruto-kun's motivation to succeed, and do what we can to help."

"Yes." Kakashi finished. He sagged into the hospital bed, fully ready to go back to sleep.

Haruka stood, a resolved look on her face. "Thank you, Kakashi-san. I'm sorry for disturbing you... You need to recover, and it probably is not easy to speak of this. But you've put my mind a little more at ease. Rest well."

And she walked out of the room, leaving Kakashi to his fitful dreams.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Haruka approached the Hyuuga compound with mixed feelings. She had not been here, in the presence of other Hyuuga, for many years. As an outsider, an independent, she was still supposed to be welcome upon the property. In spite of this fact, however, she could not shake off the eerie feeling of forbidding she felt as she entered. The courtyard felt cold to her and unforgiving, as though she were treading thin ice.

For many paces, she met nobody, and began to think that perhaps the family had relocated. As she turned to go out the way she came, though, Haruka found herself face-to-face with a middle-aged woman who blocked her way. She had the same silver-white eyes and dark hair that characterized all Hyuuga, but these eyes were not looking at her with any sort of welcome. Suddenly, Haruka believed she knew why she had begun to feel so cold.

"I know you," the woman spoke. Her voice was venomous. "Kin-abandoner."

Kin-abandoner. Haruka could remember her father being called such in the early days of her childhood, just before they had left Konoha. Apparently, this woman was a branch house member who had known her and her parents then, and resented them for leaving. Haruka steeled herself, resolving not to be drawn into a conflict. In a calm voice, she addressed the angry woman.

"Greetings, sister. Is Hiashi-sama here tonight?"

The woman's expression did not change. "Yes, he is here. What business does an outsider such as yourself have with him?"

"I have returned to stay in Konoha for a while, where I will be helping some friends of mine. I intend to give my report to Hiashi-sama and then to ask him to allow me house room."

The face of the woman contorted into a sneer. "Hiashi-sama will not be able to hear your report, as he is occupied with family and village business. There is no more room available to you. Leave at once!"

Haruka was rapidly becoming confused. She also was Hyuuga, even if she had lived outside the village for most of her life. Why was this woman so cold to her? Haruka knew that the spacious estates of the Hyuuga could easily accommodate her. What compelled this woman to tell such a blatant lie in order to make her leave?

Annoyed now, but in control, Haruka spoke again in a firmer tone of voice. "I am certain that we can come to some kind of arrangement. May I wait inside until Hiashi-sama has a spare moment?"

"Hiashi-sama will have no spare moments for some time, Kin-abandoner. Leave!"

Exasperated, Haruka dropped all pretense of following protocol.

"No, I will not leave until I have spoken once to Hiashi. You are obviously doing everything in your power to prevent me, though you should have no reason to. But I will not yield to you unless the clan head commands me to do so."

Haruka turned to head back into the compound, only to find herself facing three more Hyuuga with the same malefic expression. These were somewhat younger than the first woman, and evidently more adept at combat. All of them bore the Caged Bird Seal upon their foreheads.

"We will not permit you to simply walk in here like a haughty noble, as though the Hyuuga owe you something. No, you will leave now, Kin-abandoner, or have your comeuppance given you by our hands."

Angry now and afraid, Haruka could neither go forward nor back away. "What gives you the right to deny me, your own flesh and blood, passage into my own ancestral home? What makes you think that you are in any position to claim that I warrant any sort of 'comeuppance?'"

The Hyuuga branch members advanced, slowly, cautiously, measuring the strength of the invader. Their Byakugan eyes blazed with white anger as they raised their palms before them. Then, at some unspoken signal they charged. Haruka braced herself for the impact of three Jyuuken palms.

A voice crying out to the evening twilight stopped everything.

"Enough!"

The branch members halted their advance, turning to see their clan leader standing wrathfully in the front doorway. Immediately, they sank to their knees in deference to Hiashi. Their Byakugan eyes receded.

"Leave us," commanded Hiashi. His order was obeyed instantly. The first woman, however, made sure to give Haruka one last vengeful look before vanishing.

"Come with me," Hiashi said, and turned to go into the main building.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 

Morino Ibiki emerged from the interrogation room, finding the Hokage waiting for him. His face grave, he adjusted his head cover and drank from a flask on his belt, preparing himself to give his full report.

"Well," he said at last, "The prisoner has finally responded to us. Very interesting news, Hokage-sama..."

Tsunade's face held a stony expression, prepared to hear the worst.

"All right. No mind games, Ibiki. What is it?"

Ibiki was quiet for a long moment, pondering what he had heard and trying to make sense of things in his own head. He turned it over again and again until the Hokage finally snapped him back out of it.

"Morino Ibiki! What have you learned from the captive?"

"..._He_ has returned, Hokage-sama."

End Chapter Seven

**A/N**: Yes, I know there wasn't much action in there. Bear with me, I'm still trying to get the beef of this story arc set up the way I want it. I apologize.

NaruHina fluff lovers: If you're mad at me(and I don't think most of you are yet), be patient... This is a long-term project, and your stuff will come in bits and pieces until the end.

Argh... Haruka is a bitch to write sometimes. I keep having to write her in such serious situations, and her serious-mode totally conflicts with her free-time-mode... I arbitrarily threw Shikamaru in there without really knowing how I wanted to write him... I had to write yet another female canon character, Tsunade, without any experience with her before... and I've no idea whatsoever I should think about my writing of injured, deep-thinking Kakashi. I'd much rather write icha icha paradise Kakashi... but that's not how the story goes... argh... I rambled. Sorry.

Take care, everyone, and happy Fourth of July! Bring out all your number fours... Let's go, Yondaime, c'mon, fourth helping of lamb riblets...


	10. C8: Dreaming and Fear

**A/N:** Going on ten thousand hits, fifty thousand words, and fifty reviews, this story's been given lots of praise so far. My confidence is growing, and I have my readers to thank for it. Good work, and keep it up!

Let's see...

Tsunade's meeting with Ibiki, Haruka's meeting Hiashi, Keisuke's scheduled for a skills assessment, and Naruto is... er... where did I put that kid! Oh well, it's been a couple of days since he got home, so I don't suppose it matters where he is exactly at this moment. Same for Hinata. I say we start this week's chapter with... (Rolls the dice)... Naruto!

**Chapter Eight: Dreaming and Fear**

Cloudy skies had settled over the village Hidden in the Leaves. They were dark, ominous clouds that swirled above the numerous shinobi heads like the manifestation of some dark promise. Shopkeepers made themselves busy with buffering their wares against any sudden gale or downpour that might strike at any moment. Despite their suspicions, however, no rains had fallen from them since they had arrived, and no wind other than the occasional lazy breeze made itself felt. Still, there were those who could not throw off the feeling that something was lurking behind those black clouds.

But no cloud, however black, could deter Naruto from his course. He strode confidently through the cool afternoon like a beacon of summer light. Some people that he passed—the ones that had come to respect him—caught his radiance and had their own rekindled, thanking him with waves of hello or just simple smiles. Others, who had come to fear him over his fifteen years of life—including the diminishing Naruto-is-a-demon population and the increasing number of old folks and perverts whom he had given heart attacks—shied away from it, retreating into whatever shelter they could find.

If Naruto noticed the profound effects that he was having on Konoha's people, he did not show it. But the girl who emerged from the Hokage tower as he was passing did, and she had every intention of letting him know... just as soon as she got over being amazed at the fact that the one who, at the start of Team Seven's first truly difficult mission, had been called "the midget" was now several inches taller than she was.

Gathering herself back together, she called Naruto's name. Watching him turn and seeing the surprised, then ridiculously happy face brought back old memories, and she couldn't help but feel glad as well. Three years ago, her team had been shattered, her teammates leaving Konoha for places unknown. With Naruto's return, her life felt a little bit more whole.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Welcome back, Naruto," she said.

"Eheh, thanks," he replied. "You missed one hell of a reunion party a couple of days back. It's a shame you were off on a mission then."

"Well, it couldn't be helped. We couldn't exactly let the Kazekage, our strongest ally, die, and most of the other medical ninja were already in the field..."

The mention of the Kazekage seemed to draw Naruto's interest. "Yeah, I heard about that," he said. "How's Gaara?"

"Fine," replied Sakura, "He's alive, though it cost an old woman her life, and the demon that was supposed to be living in him got taken out..."

Sakura thought she saw a shiver go up the spine of her old teammate, something that she had rarely seen before. "Naruto?" she asked, "Is everything okay? You didn't lose some of that annoying overconfidence out in the wilderness, did you?"

The effects of whatever had been bothering Naruto vanished quickly. After only a moment's hesitation, he had recovered himself.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan, every thing's all right." And the way he said it, it looked like it was. Sakura let it go, dismissing it as _probably some bad memory about the old Chuunin exam._

"So, Naruto, where are you headed? Got yourself a mission already?"

"Nah, Tsunade-baa-chan is letting me get settled back in, I guess. I'm going to go see a friend of mine in this neighborhood."

_In this neighborhood, so near the Hokage tower?_ Sakura's thoughts cast about for a while, trying to remember who she knew that lived in these parts. The nearest to this neighborhood she knew about was the Hyuuga family, but even they were a few blocks away. Most of the living areas around the tower were occupied by the elder Council members and other influential members of the village government.

"Do you mind if I walk with you?" she asked. Curiosity had gotten the better of her this time. That, and she hadn't had a chance to talk to her teammate in years.

Naruto grinned hugely. "Sure! We got plenty of catching up to do, after all!"

And so they walked together around the tower, heading for one of two small residential lots embedded between the sections of busy village that surrounded it. As they walked, Sakura began to take notice of the effects that the years had had on her comrade. He was still a laughing buffoon, sure, and completely hopeless in the more subtle shinobi arts. This suited him just fine, however; now he could back up his boasts with a strength that was palpable even through his loud orange jacket.

And one more thing was palpable to Sakura: his apparent shift in attitude towards her. In their early days under Kakashi-sensei, Naruto had pursued her relentlessly, hoping to get her to go out with him. It had annoyed her to no end, and there were many times when she had been forced to express her annoyance violently. Now, though, Naruto walked and talked comfortably with her, making no trouble at all. He was tolerable—moreover, he was actually pleasant! He didn't exactly treat her as she had seen him treat their other friends—namely Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji, to begin with—but it was a slight difference only, just a slight softening of mannerisms in her presence. It dawned on her that he was now treating her like Naruto's version of a dear friend, rather than a love interest.

The knowledge was both a relief and a surprise to her. While she inwardly celebrated the death of the annoying, uncouth little blond, part of her wondered what had brought it about. Ino had once teased her, telling her that "absence makes the heart grow fonder," that she would never be rid of him. Sakura had, of course, hoped that it would prove untrue, but now that it had, she was perplexed.

Had someone replaced her in his heart? Had time simply withered away his affection? What if he hadn't given up on her at all, and was instead trying to win her over in a smarter, subtler way? These questions and more cavorted through her mind as she tried to fathom why Naruto had begun to treat her like a very-close-but-not-that-close friend, like...

Like...

Like he had often treated Hinata, back in those days between the Chuunin exam and his departure. This new train of thought dominated all the rest. _Could she have...? Already? No way._

Naruto, meanwhile, was having completely unrelated thoughts. Occasionally his attention wandered to such mundane things as the conversation with his teammate, or thoughts of Keisuke's upcoming examination, or marveling at how much had changed in his home town. But mostly, he focused on what Sakura had told her at the beginning. _"...And the demon that was supposed to be living in him got taken out..." So Gaara and Shukaku fell to Akatsuki after all. It's good that Gaara survived, but it doesn't mean much; Akatsuki still proved their point. They've got enough power now. They think they're ready to take me. _It wasn't a happy thought.

He dealt with it in his usual style. _They can try. I'm a lot stronger than I was before, and I'll be stronger yet by the time they get here. They won't bring _me _down! Not Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage. Never! _Resolving to work harder at his training, Naruto banished the thoughts of Akatsuki from his mind.

It was at the perfect time that he did so, for at that moment they arrived at their destination. Keisuke was walking out of his gate, dressed in his usual gear, waving a greeting to them. His sunglasses still perched on his nose, hiding the emptiness of his eye sockets, and his oaken hair waved in the breeze. Naruto noted, however, that he now sported a Konoha headband and the standard issue shinobi vest that was given to every ninja of the journeyman level and above. Naruto's grin expressed his appreciation for the additions to Keisuke's ensemble—the blind man made Konoha's colors look good.

"Hey, Naruto!" he called. "Come to check out my new place?" Indeed, it appeared worthy of checking out. It was what appeared to be a small compound, with the main building flanked by a garden on one side and a small side building on the other. There might have been more, but the rest was blocked from view by the walls.

"You know it, Keisuke-nii-chan!"

Standing proudly before each other, their mutual radiance seemed to cast Sakura into shadow. She'd heard of this man from Haruka, the Hyuuga woman who'd joined her party at Suna, and from numerous sources of gossip in the village. She'd been told that he had been running around with Naruto and Jiraiya for much of their time away, and had beaten some notorious brigand in lands far away. But she hadn't expected this man and Naruto to be on such friendly terms. They regarded each other like siblings, and Naruto had even called him "Brother." Yet, they'd only known each other for about a year, maybe two, by Sakura's estimate. And something about those sunglasses... he looked the type who she would have been suspicious of.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Keisuke. "So, who's your girlfriend there, Naruto?"

Sakura was about to protest, but was cut short by Naruto's mirthful laughter. "She's not my girlfriend, Keisuke," he said, "That's my teammate that I told you about, Haruno Sakura!"

Sakura, once she recovered from the still-fresh surprise at Naruto's new attitude towards her, held her hand out for Keisuke to shake. He took it, a big grin present on his mien. His grip was firm, but not crushing, as Naruto's might have been, and within a second, Sakura felt it slacken a little, adjusting to match the strength of her own.

"Of course, the kid's told me countless stories," he said. "You can tell he's got his heart in the right place—I almost thought he'd never cease telling me how great things were back in the days of old Team Seven. It was annoying, sometimes, but it shows he cares for his teammates, which is more than I can say of many ninja I've met. He told me extensively about you. I'm honored to make your acquaintance, Sakura-san."

Sakura was charmed. He may be a suspicious looking kind of guy, but he certainly was nice. "Oh, the honor is mine, Keisuke-san," she said. "Anybody who can put up with a guy as obnoxious as Naruto for three years deserves my respect."

The latter sentence produced the reaction she'd expected. "Hey!" Naruto complained, "I can't have been all _that_ terrible. I mean, I know I was immature, but..."

"**You were."** The reply came from both Keisuke and Sakura simultaneously, both of whom had had their share of the twelve- and thirteen-year-old Naruto.

Exasperated, Naruto grumbled, "Geez, I'm not that bad anymore..."

"That's for sure, kid." Said Keisuke. "You're head and shoulders above where you were previously. Figuratively _and_ literally." Naruto brightened a little, stretching up to his full—and indeed, head and shoulders above that of his former self—height, while Sakura silently agreed.

The introductions performed, Keisuke went on, "I can't show you around just yet, unfortunately. I still have to visit the shinobi registration office, and then I have more things to do today..."

"Oh, yeah, your examination!" Naruto exclaimed, his face bright with hope.

Knowing what his "little brother" would be wanting next, he said, "Sorry, Naruto. The test is supposed to be just me and the examiner, to avoid outside interference and the possibility of injuring bystanders. You can't go to watch it."

"Damn, I thought it would be that way." Naruto's face betrayed only a sliver of regret, though everyone present could guess what was going on in his head. He was already growing bored, and not only that, he was worried that he wasn't going to be ready to face the challenges ahead of him. Witnessing a high-level battle involving the other possessor of his unique power would help both problems.

"Hey now," Keisuke said, "I'll tell you all about it later, when we practice. And I'm sure you can find something to do for the next few hours..." His words trailed off as he appeared to sense something familiar across the street. Then he smiled widely. "Hey there, Hinata-san!" he called, "How are you this afternoon?"

Naruto and Sakura turned around and, sure enough, there was Hyuuga Hinata on the other side of the street, several bags in her arms from the store she had just exited and sporting a deer-in-the-headlights look in her pale eyes.

"Ah, Keisuke-san, Sakura... Naruto-kun..."

"Oi, Hinata!" yelled the blond, "What's up?" The warm smile upon Naruto's face did not escape either Keisuke or Sakura, and the two of them exchanged meaningful grins. For a moment, nobody could find anything to say.

Sakura was the first to break the short silence. "Hinata-chan, heading home for the day?"

Hinata gathered herself, shook off her surprise, and said, "Hai, I am going home, but then I will be meeting Shino-kun and Kiba-kun for practice... Ano, Keisuke-san, you live here now?"

Keisuke nodded. "Yes, I've just finished moving in. A big place for one person, but the new residential area that's being built doesn't have any free houses right now. Hokage-sama will continue to have the property cleaned and maintained for me while I live here. It's very comfortable."

"Ah, I see..." Hinata said, struggling to keep her eyes from wandering anywhere but to Naruto. They had not spoken since the reunion party; Hinata was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do about the fact that Naruto had returned.

Keisuke smiled again. "Well, I've got to get going. Say, Hinata-san... Why don't you have Naruto go with you to your practice session? He's been bored these past few days, and could use a good workout." _Among other things,_ Keisuke thought.

Hinata froze. This was as good an opportunity as any to show Naruto how far she'd come in three years, but...

"Ano... um..."

Sakura joined in. "I think that's a great idea, Keisuke-san. Naruto, we'll catch up some more later, maybe after Kakashi-sensei is better. I need to get back to Tsunade-sama. Ja ne!"

"Sayonara," said Keisuke. Both of them walked away, back towards the Hokage tower. They left behind a grinning Naruto and Hinata, who watched them go, regarding them both with hurt looks, like they'd betrayed her.

Then Naruto walked forward. "Well, Hinata, should we get going? I'll help you lug this stuff back to your place, and then we can do some catching up of our own on the way to practice, huh?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keisuke walked alongside Sakura down the street. The streets near Hokage tower were busy despite the looming clouds, which still had yet to drop any rain. Those people nearest them gave them wide berth—Sakura was the respected apprentice of Godaime Hokage, and Keisuke was a stranger, though he somehow, amazingly, wore the Konoha leaf after being there only a few short days. They walked unmolested, and their talk was uninterrupted.

"So, Sakura-san," Keisuke began, "Were Hinata-san and Naruto like this before?"

"Not at all," replied Sakura. "Though, there was definitely a a foundation for it by the time Naruto left. Hinata-chan's loved him for as long as I've known them both, and Naruto started acting very kind to her after our first Chuunin exam. I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd gotten together after a while, but..."

"Then Naruto left," Keisuke finished.

"Yeah."

Keisuke pondered for a moment. "Well, I can't say I'm not glad that he did leave. After all, if he hadn't I'd probably still be off in the less known parts of the world, sitting on my hands, letting life pass me by. Then there's Haruka, who's been wasting her time almost since she could walk. If not for Naruto, I would have been stuck with a bottle of sake for a practice partner."

"And without a such a nice girlfriend," Sakura commented. She'd assumed, from the way Haruka had expressed her appreciation for Keisuke's skill and her satisfaction with him as a "partner" that the two of them were together. But Keisuke just stared at her like she'd broken his favorite coffee mug.

"Ehehe..." Sakura changed the subject back to Naruto and Hinata, sensing that this was dangerous ground. "So, Keisuke-san, do you think they're going to have time for a relationship now?"

Putting a nonchalant look on his face, Keisuke bought into the change of subject. "I'd say it's possible. Granted, there's still the matter of your other teammate—Sasuke—to deal with and much of his time is devoted to strengthening himself for that purpose. And now that Akatsuki seems to be on the move, his reasons are twofold. But Hokage-sama doesn't seem to want to send him anywhere at the moment, for reasons she hasn't yet explained, so he's confined to Konoha to train. With that said, it's likely that Naruto will have plenty of time on his hands for training... and for Hinata-san, if that's the way it happens. Personally, I hope it does—for multiple reasons."

Sakura stopped walking and gave Keisuke a questioning look. "Multiple reasons?"

Keisuke looked over his shoulder, and lowered his voice a little. "It's true that I want Naruto to be happy. He's become my second family, a driving force for my life. I know that Hinata can be useful to him, as a fighting partner as much as a lover. If Haruka's told you anything about the potential of the Rokujuuyon Reiude and the Byakugan together, you know of what I speak."

In fact, Haruka had told Sakura quite a bit about that subject, in great detail, on their trek from Suna to Konoha. She had to agree that if it was true, then it was very impressive.

"But, truth be told, I have an ulterior motive," he said. "With three exceptions, and three only, I despise the Hyuuga. Not for their individual character, mind you—Haruka and Hinata-san both have shown me the potential for goodness in them. No, I hate them for their clan-wide capitulation to their blasted system of preservation. They've gone so far as to place a curse—a curse on their own blood!—on the foreheads of their 'Branch House' members, a curse which they can use to kill. And kill they do, to preserve their precious Byakugan.

"It's senseless. They sacrifice their own kinsman to a life of servitude and pain and—if they deem it necessary—death. All for the sake of protecting what they consider more holy than life itself: their bloodline limit doujutsu, which is no more holy than the demon within a Jinchuuriki."

Sakura stared. She'd never heard anyone speak so passionately against the Hyuuga clan. Certainly, she wouldn't have chosen that system herself, but the Hyuuga were the Hyuuga. They were only one family, and a powerful one at that. So they were left alone, either out of fear or lack of real concern.

"Keisuke-san," she asked, "Why should you be concerned with the Hyuuga? I mean... they're only one family out of hundreds in Konoha. They aren't forcing their methods on anyone else. Why is it your problem? I'm curious."

Keisuke's face went ashen, then stony. "I have a certain attachment to them," he answered. "Not by my choice, but the matter was out of my hands." He clenched his fists. Sakura began to think that perhaps this wasn't easy for him to talk about. She pursued his reasons no further.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this, Sakura-san. Jiraiya is the only one I've told before, and he refused to be involved. I fear letting Haruka or Naruto know. Naruto doesn't like being manipulated, and Haruka, as far as I know, cares little for clan politics. She could mock me. But you, Sakura-san... a good friend of Naruto and, apparently, of Hinata-san, you can be trusted. You can be a help to me without being affected by the consequences of failure. I ask only one thing... you must not tell either Naruto or Haruka. If they must know, I will tell them, when I feel I need to. But for now, I prefer my manipulations to remain secret."

Sakura took in all of this, and felt her head start hurting. As if there weren't enough complications in her life, here was Naruto dumping more into it through one of his friends. Yet she endeavored to be stoic. Suppressing her headache, she nodded for him to continue.

Keisuke took the nod and went on. "Naruto and Haruka have told me that Hinata-san is to inherit the seat of power in the Hyuuga clan. As you said, it seems likely that she and Naruto could get together. My hope is that, if that relationship progresses, Naruto will marry into the Hyuuga clan, where he can help Hinata-san to cast down the system of Main and Branch Houses."

Keisuke saw the look of concern on Sakura's face, and knew what she was thinking. "I know... It's not as easy as I'd like it to be. Hiashi has shown a little of his better half by acknowledging his daughter, but there is still little chance that he would accept someone like Naruto into the family. There will be much resistance, possibly to the point of violence, from the Hyuuga clan. Getting Naruto to go pursue Hinata will be tough in itself; he's still working on Sasuke, and likely won't turn his attention anyplace else for very long. And while Akatsuki threatens, there won't be many safe environments for Naruto or anyone who attaches themselves to him. And even if it gets that far, undoing eons of tradition, even bad tradition, will prove almost impossible."

"Not to mention the fact that Naruto is completely clueless about Hinata's feelings. So they'll need help," Sakura concluded.

Keisuke nodded. "Yes. A great deal. Lots of help."

A long pause occurred, which neither seemed to have the will to break. Finally, the clouds above them parted for just a moment, allowing a sliver of sunlight to break through. It illuminated the distant Hyuuga compound. Seeing it, Sakura found her voice.

"Hinata-chan has been waiting long enough for Naruto. I know that I'll have to wait a lot longer. The best I can do is to see my teammate and my friend find their happiness. If for nothing else, I'll help you for their sake, Keisuke-san. But the Hyuuga clan is your problem."

"Nor would I ask you to make it yours," Keisuke said, bowing his head in thanks. "It's enough that you do what you can. Who knows? Maybe the power that they find in each other can help us retrieve Sasuke, stop Akatsuki... end all this complicated misery."

Sakura inclined her own head. "There are two people I think you should talk to. One is Neji, the Branch member you met at the reunion party. The second is Haruka-san. Even if she doesn't care for her clan, she might help you if you ask the right way."

"I appreciate your help, Sakura-san. I'm sorry for keeping you from your mistress."

"It's nothing. Ja ne, Keisuke-san."

She walked into the tower. Keisuke stood alone for a moment, smiling to himself. Then he went into the building himself. He'd won himself an ally, but it would be wise to win himself the Jounin rank before he went any further.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A clear, cool stream that bubbled up from its source not far from the mountain of the Hokage monument flowed tranquilly through a dark, secluded grove of evergreens. The trees were ancient, their mighty boughs reaching hundreds of feet upward, intertwining with each other and forming a canopy that nearly hid the whole sky from view. The wide trunks, all wider in diameter than most men were tall and then some, ringed this particular section of the stream almost like a fortified wall, and the tall, thorny bushes between deterred most people and animals from trying to enter.

But Haruka, who had discovered it in her early childhood and often come here to play, was one of the few who could find the place where the thick ivy concealed a gap in the bushes, the only way into the grove that did not involve jumping at least a hundred feet into the air or the pain of several thorn scratches. Any ninja could have blown it to bits with ninjutsu or explosives, of course... but then the means by which the grove was well-hidden and secure would be gone, the natural protection obliterated. This was not Haruka's goal; she had come here to use that protection.

By slow recollection of memory, she felt for and eventually found the opening, and wormed her way through the ivy into the grove. It was pure and untouched by human hands—as virgin as she had left it long ago. The stream flowed down from the small, silent waterfall and moved cheerfully through the center of the small enclosure, disappearing through the thorny wall at the opposite end.

Haruka's lips parted slightly in a thankful smile. She would be undisturbed here, in this peaceful place. Throwing aside her cares for the moment, she stripped off her clothing and waded gleefully into the chill waters of the stream, memories of her girlhood resurfacing in her mind. At the stream's deepest point the water came up only to her waist, where it once came above her neck. Naked under the shade of the canopy, Haruka reveled in that old, sweet, innocent glory. Long had it been gone, and she would never have it again. But here, she was able to remember it and enjoy the memory without consequence.

Shortly, though, the weight of her problems found their way into the grove after her, replacing itself squarely back upon her shoulders. She huddled in the shallow water on the bank of the stream, not against the chill of the water, but against the chill in her heart. The way those people—her kinsmen—had looked upon her that day tore at her, despite the fact that she had never known most of them before today. She had thought that she might find a family here, at least amongst the Branch. As it turned out, those that she had most counted upon for welcome abhorred her in every sense of the word.

And for the life of her, she had been unable to figure out why. She knew of the oppression that her fellow Branch housers had faced, though she had never been a real part of it. She thought that the common suffering would have united all of those Hyuuga bearing the Caged Bird seal. Haruka had been more wrong than she could have possibly imagined. Fortunately for her, Hiashi, being an old friend from their childhood days, had kept them at bay, this time.

"_But I cannot keep them from you forever," _Hiashi had said. _"I can be in only one place at any time. The Branch family are numerous, and they are a bitter, spiteful lot. They obey me here, where I can command them, but cross paths with them on an empty back alley, and they will have no qualms against hurting you very badly. Oh, they will not kill you," _he had said, noticing that her face had gone paler, _"Even they would not kill one of their own. But their resentment of you is very great, and they will stop at very little to gain what they believe to be retribution."_

"_Hiashi-sama," _Haruka had said, _"I have done nothing to harm them! I bear them no malice, no, not my kinsmen, no matter how distant. Yet they look at me with such scathing animosity... No human has ever looked at me so."_

"_Their faces are those of men and women who feel themselves betrayed,"_ he had answered. _"Part of it is to do with the fact that you have lived outside the village for most of your life. You have been free of the suffering, the responsibilities that Branch members in the village are forced to assume, while they have remained behind. To them, you are..."_

"_An outcast, a Kin-abandoner," _Haruka finished. Her face was ashen with sorrow.

"_The Branch house considers those who flee the village to be outcasts, yes. But the name of Kin-abandoner they have given to only one person before you," _Hiashi said. His eyes had locked with hers then, the silver-white pupils commanding attention. _"That person was your father. To them, you are the remnant of his betrayal, a treachery so shameful and so wounding to them that forever after they have never spoken his true name, calling him 'Kin-abandoner' whenever they talked of him in public."_

Haruka did not need to ask; Hiashi launched into the story without delay. _"It was sixteen years ago now. You were about fourteen... I was about to be married. It was several weeks before the wedding ceremony would have happened that my sister was kidnapped."_

Gasping, Haruka had said, _"So that's what happened to..."_

"_Yes. It was kept quiet at the time, of course. Our other enemies would have taken heart at our display of weakness, and our own clansmens' morale might have slipped. Thus you were informed that she was taken ill, and the truth was not revealed until after you were gone. Now, she and her lover were being held at swordpoint by a terrorist organization, the Rotting Blood, whose leader you have recently destroyed, as I heard. The villains demanded no money for their ransom. Instead, they wanted the two assassins that had killed their former leader—your parents."_

Comprehension had begun to dawn on Haruka's face. The realization was horrible, and Hiashi did not need the Byakugan to detect her growing unease. _"You begin to understand. Your father had known that at first word of my sister's capture that this would be the result. Before the ultimatum from the Rotting Blood was delivered, he took you and your mother and fled Konoha to live in the outer world. Things were unstable within the clan hierarchy at that time—a power shift was imminent, and outside forces were threatening the clan's way of life—and so they evaded the strictures that prevented most Branch members from leaving. Thus, when the Rotting Blood's demand came, the Hyuuga were not able to meet it."_

Hiashi paused for a moment, as if questioning the relevance of what he would say next. Then he said it: _"The older woman you met at the front gate—her sister and her sister's husband were disguised and sent in place of your parents."_

The present Haruka, sitting in the cold stream, remembered these words, and then remembered the woman's cold face. She shivered.

"_The Rotting Blood managed to see through their disguises, and both they and my sister were murdered together. Then the murderers chained my sister's tortured lover to the three corpses, and released him to drag them back to Konoha. He arrived seven days after your parents' doubles departed, bloody, beaten, the body of my sister in his arms, the failed dopplegangers dragging behind his feet. Thus it was revealed to all how your father's cowardice had rendered the sacrifices of the Branch meaningless, and added the name of a Hyuuga main family member to the obituary."_

"_I can see outrage in your eyes, Haruka. It is a just rage; you had nothing to do with the slaughter. But the Branch refuses to see anything but your father's cowardice and treachery within you, and because they cannot revenge themselves upon him, they seek to punish you instead. I can constrain them within these walls, for now. But I am human; I must sleep, and there are those among the Branch more than capable of taking you silently in the night. You will find no safe haven here, Haruka, however much I would like to offer you one."_

And so it was that Haruka had come here, to seclude herself from the cold, hateful eyes of her kindred, to bathe in the clear waters of this stream, cleansing away physical dirt—along with the sudden feeling of filth that her past had laid over her. Shaking in frustration as much as from the chill, she dunked herself deep, deep beneath the surface of the stream, hiding herself from her problems, her past, her people, and the world. In here, she was safe from all things human.

Or so she thought, until the _other_ person who remembered the grove found his way through the ivy portal.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keisuke wandered the forests outside of Konoha, seeking a place of solitude to clear his mind, focus his mental strength in preparation for his examination later that afternoon. His venture into the shinobi registrar had gone smoothly. He carried with him a temporary identification card and the scroll of official orders, to be given to his examiner. He was armed with kunai, shuriken, a number of explosive tags. His body was well-fed and rested, energetic and tense in anticipation. A little too tense, in fact; such was his reason for coming out here.

He remembered a time long past, just after he had left Konoha the first time, he had fled the Hyuuga pursuers through these woods. He had defeated three of the five of them, an effort which used up most of his strength. He had retreated as fast as he knew how, eventually finding a small grove enclosed by trees that were saplings when he was a child, ringed with thorny bushes that looked quite intriguing. He had stumbled through the thin section of ivy by accident, but it was enough. Burying himself in the stream running through its middle, he had lost his Hyuuga chasers.

It was this same grove that he was looking for, and after much probing around, his extended chakra feelers found a section of ivy with no thorns behind them. He pushed this aside, clambering through the hole with some difficulty, and stood within his old safe haven once more. He could hear the birds singing, the water rushing, and was enthralled by its tranquility. Thinking himself alone, he withdrew the tendrils of his Sixty-Four Ghostly Arms back into their tenketsus for the first time in years. Now truly blind, Keisuke let the gentle forest ambiance wash over him, lulling him into calmness.

Already feeling more at peace after the day's stress, and deriving a strange comfort from the blackness, he put all thoughts of the Hyuuga, of demons, and the relationships of Konoha's youth out of his mind, and allowed the water's rushing to guide him to the stream to drink.

And then, Keisuke realized that he'd dropped his guard too carelessly. His thirsty lips touched not the cool water they sought—they touched warm flesh. Before he had a chance to re-extend his Arms and figure out who was beneath him, the owner of the flesh reacted... violently.

With a cry of rage that was unmistakably that of a powerful woman about to fend off a molester, she slammed her palm into his exposed gut before he could get his arms up to block it, and Keisuke felt a bolt of chakra pulse into his abdomen. This resulted in his guts vibrating and squirming very uncomfortably. However, this was a tickle compared to the forceful kick that landed squarely in his groin. As all men do when struck in this area, Keisuke doubled over in agony, moaning as only a man so wounded can, and fell hard to the forest floor.

His attacker huffed furiously, speaking words layered with venom. "To have witnessed me unclothed would have been forgivable, an accident... but purposefully _defiling _one of the Hyuuga is..."

"Why..." Keisuke croaked in a broken voice, "Why would you... do that... to a blind man!"

Then and only then did Haruka look carefully at the one who lay at her feet.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Twenty minutes later, Keisuke was still on his back, nursing his injured pride and fighting not to retch at the unbelievable pain that still pulsed back and forth between his groin and his Jyuuken-addled guts. Unable to stop himself from groaning, he had tried many times to rise, but had not been able to do so yet without becoming violently nauseous.

"For the last time, Keisuke, I apologize!" said Haruka, having been forced to endure his complaining repeatedly since the incident.

"Gods curse you, Haruka!" Keisuke groaned, having failed to rise for the umpteenth time. "Read the rules before you play the game! Before you play Stomp-The-Pervert, you have to make sure that your victim is a legitimate target! Blind men don't fall into that category!"

"Oh, shut up," Haruka snapped, "I have told you already—I had a lot on my mind, and I was already in a sour mood. I didn't feel much like following the rules."

Keisuke could not retort, as he was too busy trying to stop himself from throwing up. Haruka sighed. They rarely spoke to each other in such snarling tones, even when discussing the sensitive subject of the Hyuuga clan, to which Haruka was—until this day—ignorant of if still loyal to, and which Keisuke loathed.

_Well, it serves him right,_ she thought. _It was his own damned fault that he was careless enough to plant his face on... _Haruka flushed with embarrassment and rage at the memory. _Idiot..._

She fumed for a while as Keisuke struggled with the double pain of the Jyuuken and his other injury. But when Keisuke finally managed to pull himself onto a rock in a sitting position, panting heavily, Haruka's anger began to recede. _Well, I suppose I was careless, as well. Who knew that he'd been here before? And I was ducked under the water, moping around, oblivious to his presence. In a sense, it's as much my fault as it is his._

Both of them sat on their separate rocks in silence for several minutes, each having completely forgotten the stresses of the emotional day which had sent them here. Both of them nursed their sundered pride (And in Keisuke's case, a splitting headache), all thoughts of the complications of their lives blown away in the uniquely painful moment. Neither of them had imagined that this was how their first meeting would be following their separation before returning to Konoha.

Finally, simultaneously, each one remembered their reason for being here.

"Keisuke," Haruka said, "You have said that you despise the Hyuuga."

"With a few notable exceptions, yes... I do." Keisuke responded. His pain had finally been reduced to a dull ache. He would be uncomfortable for a few hours, but he would be able to face his test.

Haruka's face was grim, a reflection of her new and bitter regard for herself. "I believe that I finally understand why."

Keisuke's eyebrows arched. Here was something that he had never expected in his life to hear.

Haruka continued, not bothering to look up into his face. "I possessed the Byakugan before. But now I know that the Hyuuga's doujutsu is not all-seeing. In my life away from the village, I was ignorant. I have been blind to the suffering, the sacrifices of my kinsmen." _Sacrifices made in vain, thanks to the cowardice of my own flesh and blood, _she thought. Her feeling of self-loathing and filthiness came back to her on black wings, circling her head.

"But worse," she went on, "I thought before that I did not return to the village because I felt that my exile was my true home. When I saw my clansmens' faces, the anguish upon them, I felt their pain in my own heart. I grieved for their suffering, though I showed it not."

She breathed in deeply, her breath almost rattling in her chest as she shook with imagined cold. "And then I knew, as assuredly as I know night from day, the true reason I waited so long to return: Fear."

A tear fell from her silver eyes, then was followed by more. Her head hung low in deepest shame.

"I feared coming back to my home because, though I chose to ignore it, I knew my clansmen were in pain. I had feared to see their anguish, and to have revenge taken upon me for not sharing in their pain. I am a coward, Keisuke! A coward and a fool." And there Haruka stopped, waiting for Keisuke to reprimand her, agree with her. Indeed, you are a coward, he would say. He would laugh. He would gloat as he always did, exulting in his superiority.

But the laughter and exultation never came. Instead, she felt a gentle rapping on the back of her skull. Turning, she saw the blind man standing there, his armored fist being what had tapped her.

"Behind you, idiot," he said gently, "You are no coward. A fool, yes you are. And you're an inferior fighter, a nuisance that I can't get rid of. But you aren't without courage. How else would you have survived practice with me almost every day for the last eighteen months? If you are a coward, why the hell are you here facing the clansmen you feared _now?_ Open your eyes, Haruka. You're a fool, but you've had brains enough to recognize your mistake, even if it took you half of your life."

He spoke the same words that he always spoke in their rivalry, insulting her, degrading her wherever he could. But his voice was haggard, his expression pleading. He hated seeing his partner like this. He was used to the stronger Haruka, the one who joined him in their playful rivalry, yet who became a serious, dependable, and deadly fighter when the situation called for it. Keisuke was not happy with this weakened, guilt-wasted Haruka, and it showed.

Keisuke's silent plea reached her. It sang to Haruka's stronger half, rallied it, and drew it to the surface. Drying her face, she stood up. Keisuke smiled, and moved towards her. He saw an opportunity to gain another ally. Readying his proposal, he opened his mouth...

And the words died in his throat as Haruka suddenly spun to face him, her low kick sweeping his legs out from under him. He fell flat on his back, the wind leaving his body in a rush at the impact with the ground. Stunned, he was unable to prevent Haruka's foot from planting itself on his sternum.

"Who's the 'inferior fighter,' Keisuke?"

"Damn it, woman!" the blind man growled. His earlier hurts had sapped him of strength that he had not yet fully recovered; he could not remove his partner's foot from his chest. "Let me up! I've still got a test to take."

Haruka's face was set in grim determination. "On one condition, partner,"

Keisuke was in a hurry. "Name it!"

"Help me change the Hyuuga."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata walked silently next to her secret love, who was lugging along a great deal more ninja tools in his pack than was probably necessary. Perhaps excitement to be training again had caused him to overdo it when he was preparing, as it had occasionally when he was younger. Hinata found this particular behavior amusing, entertaining, but nerves prevented her from laughing.

She was burning with anticipation. Now, after three long years, she finally had her chance. If she could amaze the young blond ninja with her hard-earned skill, she would be granted the opportunity to win favor with him. From there, she might convince him to come to more practices with her, which would lead, possibly, to more private sessions without Shino or Kiba. She would be able to tell him, in private, where all her new strength had come from—the nindo, the ninja way, that she had learned from him.

After that point, having secured his attention, she might have developed the courage, maybe, to ask him out for an evening...

Her blissful thoughts were interrupted. It seemed that Hinata was never allowed to daydream for very long, these days. Naruto had been hailed by his old jounin sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

"Hey, Hinata," he said, "Can you wait here a moment? I won't take long. Kakashi-sensei just wants a quick, private word, that's all."

"Ah... Of course, Naruto-kun."

"Great. I'll be back sooner than you can say 'Byakugan.'" He dashed away to join his teacher.

Now, Hinata wasn't normally the type to invade people's privacy. But when it came to Naruto, she had a worrisome curiosity that had been with her since her first memories of him, which she had never quite been able to rid herself of. This worrisome curiosity got the better of her at this moment.

She could not hear what they said to each other, but her time with Neji had been very useful to her in more ways than one. Under his tutelage, she had become and adept lip-reader. Kakashi's lips were covered by his mask, of course, but this presented little challenge to the heiress of Hyuuga, who had all but X-ray vision. Murmuring "Byakugan" softly, she looked through the mask and heard—or saw, rather—their conversation.

**Hey, Kakashi-sensei,** she saw Naruto say, **Can you make this quick? I kinda had plans to go practice with Hinata's team... I don't want to be late.**

Kakashi replied, **I will be quick, Naruto, if you pay attention and I don't have to repeat myself. Listen carefully. What I'm about to say may shock you...**

**Aw, I've been all over the world, sensei. There isn't much left that can shock me.**

Hinata watched Kakashi sigh impatiently, leaning more heavily on his crutches. **Naruto, listen. You don't need to be concerned with looking for Sasuke anymore...**

"WHAT! YOU MEAN YOU'VE FOUND HIM!" Hinata didn't need to read his lips to hear that one. The shout drew the stares of all the people in the general vicinity.

**Be quiet, Naruto!** Kakashi warned, waving off the onlookers casually. **This is secret information for a reason! If the ordinary villagers found out, there would be a panic! **

**All right, Kakashi-sensei, I promise I won't tell anyone,** said Naruto, quickly controlling himself. Apparently, Uchiha Sasuke was still quite a delicate subject with the blond; enough so that it could drive him to revert to the wild, barely controllable state of mind he'd been in when he had left.

**So, where is he, sensei?**

Kakashi looked carefully over his shoulder, making sure nobody was listening. **He's here, Naruto. Sasuke is hiding in Konoha, hiding under our very noses. What he wants, we can only guess.**

OoOoOoOoEnd Chapter 8oOoOoOoO

**A/N:** Once again, I outline the chapter, I write the chapter, and it turns out altered from what I had originally outlined. I always end up changing something. So far, it's led me to some good reviews. Hopefully, It will lead me to more.

Next chapter: more action, as Keisuke tests for jounin rank(still slightly sore) and Naruto goes to town on one of Hinata's teammates... which one shall it be, hmmm? Shall Kiba attempt avenge his defeat at the hands of Tomoshibi no Kyuubi, or will Shino be the one to test the blond's new power? And will Hinata's show captivate her unwary love interest or go unnoticed?

Your answers shall come in chapter nine.


	11. C9: The Fruits of Our Labors

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Dragon Noir, Dragon Man 180, and Trenchcoatgirl-Kyo, who have faithfully reviewed for me since the earliest chapters. They are outstanding analysts, whose encouragement drives me to greater heights at every turn, whose sharp eyes catch my mistakes, whose thoughtful questions help me to eliminate many flaws and close many gaps before I even write them. I understand now, more than ever, the importance of the critic to a writer's work. It's all thanks to reviewers like these three.

So, my hat's off to you guys. This chapter's for you.

**Chapter Nine: The Fruits of Our Labors**

Naruto fought to keep himself from blowing up. This information wasn't just a shock, as Kakashi had told him it would be; it was the crack of a lightning blast aimed straight into a tree that had been soaked in oil. The tree was Naruto's strong, tall, solid spirit. The flammable oil was Sasuke's betrayal, the broken promise to Sakura to bring him back, the Kyuubi fox spirit who taunted him in his dreams, pointing out that he was too weak to redeem himself, much less his friend... in short, it was all things that brought Naruto pain. Kakashi's words ignited it, setting both it and the tree of his spirits aflame. The great branches crackled with hopeful flame. It hurt a little to think about it all again, but the pain lost out to the other thing the flames brought with them.

There was hope, now. Even though he might perish in the effort, Naruto intended to act upon this chance to burn away the pain forever.

"Naruto," Kakashi said, "It's difficult, I know, but you have to keep this quiet, you have to control yourself. We know only that Sasuke is in Konoha and is responsible for your dopplegangers' attack. and even this information was hard to come by—those copies that were made of you have strong will, apparently. We don't know his exact hiding location, what he wants, or if he is even acting of his own free will. There is no way to know if his intentions are hostile or, if they are, just how much threat he poses after three years. We can't afford to act too hastily."

He heard his sensei's words and obeyed them, but Naruto couldn't stop himself from shaking with excitement and determination. He swallowed hard, forcing down the voice which longed to cry out to his lost friend. Kakashi was right, of course—the villagers had not forgotten how the last son of their most cherished shinobi clan had turned to the blackest of all hearts to grant him power. To run around shouting that he was back would incite bedlam.

"Have..." Naruto started, pausing to get his cracking voice under his thumb again, "Have they checked the Uchiha compound?"

Kakashi breathed again, relieved that his former student had been able to restrain himself. "Several ANBU are there already," he said, "But they haven't reported any sightings. If Sasuke's base is there, then it is very well hidden."

Naruto's face fell. He'd been hoping that someone would at least find a lead there. He was about to probe Kakashi further when his old teacher spoke again.

"Naruto," he said, "We cannot be certain, but there is a possibility that you and Sakura—not to mention myself—could be in great danger. Out of fear of this danger, and the danger posed by the increase in Akatsuki activity, Tsunade-sama cannot send you on any missions outside of the village, and she's even had a team of ANBU assigned to watch you from the shadows. She's doing everything she can to fortify the village and you against the coming onslaught...

"But if I know you, Naruto, then you're not going to sit around waiting for trouble to come to you. So I'm giving you an unofficial mission, Naruto..."

Naruto cocked his ear, interested in what his master had in mind. He waited while Kakashi checked over his shoulder again before continuing.

"Go about your business as usual, Naruto; practice your heart out, eat ramen, make small talk with your friends, and have a little fun. Put on a show for the villagers to cover up your less known activities—sticking your nose everywhere that smells fishy, observing suspicious activity, reading through newspapers and listening to whatever conversations you have to to find whatever hints you can. Sasuke is planning something—whatever information we can get will help us. I'll be checking up on you every now and then, to see if you've found anything."

Naruto nodded. This was something he was easily capable of. Whatever Sasuke was doing, he'd sniff it out. "Okay, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi nodded in return, and turned to hobble off. Over his shoulder, he added, "If you find him, Naruto, don't try to take him yourself. Come to me first. We—you, Sakura, and I—should do this together." With that, he left, his crutches helping him slowly along to where shelter and rest awaited him.

Naruto went back to where he'd left Hinata. Almost immediately, he could tell that something was wrong. Something in her lavender-tinted eyes was uncertain, fearful. She held herself like someone who had just witnessed the execution of a precious friend or family member.

"Hinata," he asked, his voice layered with concern, "What's wrong?"

Hinata's eyes grew more fearful for a moment, but then she shook her head. "No," she said, "It's nothing. Naruto-kun, we should move on. My team is waiting for us in the forest."

Naruto didn't buy it. Something was up, that he knew for certain—he'd seen it in her eyes. It probably wasn't any of his business, something that had to do with her family, perhaps, or an appointment of some sort that she'd just remembered and realized she'd missed. Yet he considered Hinata one of his better friends; he'd have to ask her about it again later.

For now, though, he shoved it to the back of his brain. There was training to be done. He gestured to the short blue-haired girl.

"Lead the way, Hinata."

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Keisuke parted from Haruka at the village gates in a very good mood. Sakura had been right; Haruka _was_ willing to help him, had even asked _him_ to help _her_ do it. She just had to find some safe lodging away from the Hyuuga compound, and she would be set to help bring the Byakugan's barbaric protection system down around the Hyuuga's ears.

Things were looking up and, except for a sore groin and some slightly unsettled guts, Keisuke felt more than ready to face his next challenge. Smiling and walking with a spring in his step despite his fading pain, he hastened to training area seventeen with triumph in his mind's eye.

As it turned out, training area seventeen was a rectangular enclosure about six miles in length and four miles wide. At one end was a rocky cliff face that stretched easily seven hundred feet high. At the other end was a tall gate, the only way in or out of the enclosure other than through the air. Within the enclosure was a swamp, complete with mossy trees that had vines drooping from them, murky water that was waist deep at its shallowest and well over a man's head at its deepest, and a spooky darkness that even Keisuke, in his blindness, could perceive. And standing before the gate...

"Hyuuga Neji," said the young man, holding out his hand. "We've met before."

"Yes, at the homecoming," Keisuke responded, taking it. Both men regarded each other for a moment, respectful appreciation on their faces. Then they got down to business. Keisuke presented his scroll of orders from the Hokage, which Neji skimmed quickly through, then tucked away.

"I'll be your examiner while you take this test—a Jounin Equivalence Test—within the walls training area seventeen," Neji said. "It is a fast test with simple goals. You will enter the swamp, where you must locate a civilian target—in this case, it is a ninja masquerading as a commoner for the purpose of the exercise—and to escort him safely back to this gate."

Keisuke nodded, showing that he understood. Neji was right; in this small enclosure, finding the "target" shouldn't take a long time, so it was certain to end quickly.

"Naturally, this is not just a case of some old lady who's lost her way; it is a high-priority target wanted by an enemy village, who has hired its own ninjas—also played by our helpful comrades, of course—to find him and kill him on sight. Their encampment is at the other end of the swamp. Your first objective, therefore, is to find the target before they do."

_I would expect as much,_ Keisuke thought. _So what's the trick?_

"Once you have found him, you will need to lead him back through the swamp, which is full of natural dangers as much as it is full of enemies, back here. Though in reality he is a fully trained shinobi, he will use no ninjutsu here—he is playing the part of an ordinary person, and will rely completely upon you for guidance and protection against all hazards.

"Your enemies, as well as your environment, will strike to kill. If at any time you fail to stop a deathblow and our shinobi actor has to break character to save himself, you will fail your exam on the spot."

_He makes it sound more like a performance than a test of skill,_ Keisuke mused. _Damned Hyuuga, so concerned over perfection... everything has to look good to them. _He thought it jokingly, of course. He knew from Naruto that this young man was worth respecting since he had beaten some sense into him, and Keisuke was personally beginning to like him. He possessed a certain elegance that, when not coupled with the arrogance and intolerance that cursed many of his fellows, made him quite charming.

"Also," Neji continued, "The target will begin this exercise in perfect health. You will begin with one hundred points. When you have returned to the starting point, the target's health will be assessed. At that time, points will be deducted from your score for injuries, illness, infection, et cetera. You will also lose points for time spent in the swamp after one hour. Every ten minutes after that will deduct one point from your score.

"There is one way to add to your score: steal from the enemy encampment their map of the swamp, which not only marks routes of safer passage through the wetlands, but also notes the location of secret caches of supplies and contraband kept hidden there by the enemy village. Return this map to me at the end of the examination, and I will add ten points to your score."

Keisuke read in Neji's aura that he was reaching the end of his explanation. He tensed in anticipation, preparing for the imminent trial.

"If, when all calculations and changes are applied, your score exceeds sixty points, then you will pass the test and register as a Jounin-level shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Are your instructions clear?"

"They are, examiner," Keisuke said.

Neji grinned. "From a person who spent two years with the most surprising ninja in our village, I expect great things, Keisuke-san. Good luck."

At Neji's signal, the gate opened. Keisuke rushed forward, and the test began.

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Inuzuka Kiba sat grumbling beneath a tree with his teammate, observing the mock battle taking place. Normally, old Team Eight's practice was about more than single combat. This time, however, they were hosting a friend that they hadn't seen for a long time. Naruto wanted to do one-on-one matches to see how everyone had progressed in comparison to each other, and Kiba, along with his comrades, had sportingly agreed. Naruto had looked to Kiba then, knowing that the wild man would be itching to try to beat the technique that had so easily stopped him earlier.

Kiba had wanted to fight Naruto and his Tails of Light, and still planned to—but at the moment he had no idea _how_ he was supposed to fight it, and while Naruto might be willing to charge headlong at any foe regardless of power differences, Kiba chose his battles according to the Law of Beasts; you just don't fight something that you can't even touch until either your opponent became vulnerable or you have acquired the means to touch it. Therefore, he had grumbled a reluctant excuse and withdrawn to the the shade of the tree, hoping that by watching Naruto's fight he would learn how to get around those nine extra limbs.

Without Kiba to fight, Naruto's gaze had turned to Hinata. He expressed particular interest in seeing how far Kiba's shy teammate had come. The shy one in question had promptly turned an interesting color and started mumbling something too quiet to be audible. _That fight would have been awkward,_ Kiba thought, somewhat amused at the prospect. It would have given him something to tease Hinata about later, anyway.

In the end, it had been Shino to come to the rescue. Though Naruto expressed slight disappointment at being stuck fighting his least favorite member of Team Eight, he agreed. Nobody else seemed quite ready to go at the moment.

Naruto had little time to remain disappointed, however; the battle quickly became very, very interesting, and Kiba found himself watching it very attentively. Naruto started off in predictable fashion, nothing they hadn't seen before. He charged the bug user directly from the front, fist at the ready. Shino moved to meet him, the Destruction Bugs that called him Master and Home swarming around them both. The bugs bit and tore at the blond wherever they could gain a hold. Naruto seemed to be relying on nothing more than his own speed to fend them off, and it didn't seem to be all that effective.

This was Shino's bread-and-butter: distract the opponent with basic taijutsu as the bugs slowly eat away at their bodies and their chakra, wearing them down. Kiba knew that Naruto wouldn't stand long for this.

Sure enough, after a few exchanges, the blond Gennin brought forth his Tails of Light to try to sweep the bugs away. At first glance, this seemed to work better than plain taijutsu and speed; most of the Destruction Bugs were blown away from his main body. But after only a short time, it began to fail—and Kiba saw that the technique had a weakness against this opponent.

Shino's bugs fed upon chakra. Normally, the best place for them to get it was from Shino, their master, in return for their unquestioning service. But here, Naruto's external chakra coils gave them a new, rich source of raw chakra to harvest, and they did so eagerly. With their chakra being consumed, the Tails of Light lost their force, and Shino called forth additional bugs from his body to replace the ones that were busy with their meal. Once again, Naruto fell prey to their onslaught, and Shino began to get the upper hand.

Kiba watched all this with disappointment. He had found the weakness of Naruto's new power, sure... but unless he could teach Akamaru to eat chakra rather than meat and table scraps, it didn't help him out any. It looked as though he'd be going back to the drawing board. Losing interest in the fight, for the moment, he glanced over at Hinata.

The girl was watching the fight, but it looked as though she was having difficulty deciding which combatant to support. As Kiba kept looking, it seemed to him that she gave up on openly supporting either one of them and chose to watch in silence, as he did. At any rate, she appeared to have less trouble with distraction than Kiba did; her eyes remained glued to the pair(_well, to one of the two, anyway,_ thought Kiba) in mute appraisal.

Finally, Naruto's growl of frustration made Kiba turn his head. He seemed about to change his tactics again. _What will you do now, Naruto?_

"Geez, you're as annoying on the battlefield as you are around the village," Naruto said. Then a grin spread to his face—the cocky one that showed Kiba that things might be about to get interesting again.

"But I'll get around those defenses of yours," continued the blond, "You'll see! **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

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The swamp proved to be a challenge to navigate, despite Keisuke's generally good pathfinding capabilities. Though he could avoid trudging through the muddy water by hopping swiftly through the gnarled trees, the numerous drooping vines and spindly branches impeded his Ghostly Arms' reach, making it hard to "see" ahead of him. Already, he had smacked himself into a few branches, and he was beginning to think that maybe the water might have been more comfortable. Not his ideal environment—but then, when was a Jounin ever allowed to decide where his target got lost?

Eventually, he had the sense to create a few Kage Bunshins to scout the path ahead of him, and he created extras to search off to his sides while he was at it. He had not yet encountered any enemies, but this didn't surprise him; they were after the target, not him. Most likely they would only attack him once he got in their way.

All in all, it was a rocky road so far, but nothing had really blocked it. _Although, once I find the objective, that ought to change quite quickly._

Ten minutes into the search, one of his clones located the enemy encampment. Keisuke made a mental note of where it was. If he had time after finding the target, he would come back for the map, but he could not afford hesitation now. There were only two guards within the camp, which meant that the rest had to be out in the swamp, searching for their objective. The location fixed firmly in his thoughts, Keisuke continued forth.

Five more minutes passed, and then he heard a cry of panic off his right flank. He turned quickly, and a split second later, his forward Bunshins called to him, having found what they were looking for. Grinning at his first small victory, Keisuke hastened to the target, coming with feeler range in seconds. Quickly, he searched around for what had made the target cry out, but he could locate no enemies. Wondering what could be the problem, Keisuke turned to face the target.

"Sir, are you al..."

"Oh! Thank goodness you've arrived!" Said the target, interrupting him. The voice was deep and loud and obviously belonged to a male, but Keisuke noted that its owner was putting in a great deal of obvious effort to make it sound helpless. The overall effect it had on Keisuke was to give him the impression that his mock target was a hopelessly poor actor who was doing his best to convince the blind man that he was not.

"Ahem... what seems to be the trou..."

"You've got to help me!" The target cried, interrupting him again, "I've been trying to escape from these terrible, evil shinobi..."

_Tell me something I don't already know, _thought Keisuke. Already he disliked this man.

"...and I thought I'd gotten away clean, but then the most horrible thing happened!" The man's voice was much too loud. Keisuke worried that if he was allowed to keep speaking, the enemy would find them much more quickly than he would like.

_Get to the point already!_ Keisuke thought. His words were more polite. "And what is the problem now, sir?"

"It's awful! I've been caught in quicksand!"

A moment passed in which Keisuke wondered just what kind of idiot they'd given him for his test objective. Not only was the man an abysmal actor, but he could not seem to comprehend that lowering his voice would be beneficial to his survival and, on top of that, he was now planted in mud that was perhaps only a foot deep by measure of Keisuke's feelers, and he was calling it quicksand—while calmly (if loudly) talking about how awful and terrible it was.

_Is he this bad all the time, or is he purposefully doing this to get on my nerves and make things difficult?_ Deciding to act upon the former assumption—he didn't even want to think that someone so utterly intolerable could exist—he sighed and grabbed the man by his waist, pulling him from the mud easily.

"Oh! Thank you!" cried the target with over-exaggerated gratitude, "I thought I would have been sucked under for sure! I, Maito Gai, am eternally in your debt!"

Keisuke could only stand before this man and gape in awe at his inhumanly bad acting. _This will be one hell of an examination..._

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The forest seemed much more crowded suddenly as Naruto's Bunshins exploded into being around him. The blond looked on his bug user opponent confidently. Let Shino have his army of bugs—he commanded his own battalion. That annoying hooded freak might have been able to neutralize one of him, but could he deal with twenty at the same time?

Naruto thought not, and renewed his attack with a great cry of challenge. All nineteen Bunshins and the true Naruto raged towards their target, intent on bodily thrashing him. Shino, not having been made a Chuunin for no reason, was prepared. Offering up his chakra to his bugs, he rose his arms and gave his orders. Destruction Bugs swarmed from his sleeves.

"**Mushi Kabe no Jutsu.**" (Bug Wall Technique)

The bugs swarmed protectively around Shino at hurricane-wind speed. Naruto had seen this technique in action before, and it had proven quite effective—on the small bees that had later been able to suicide-bomb it to oblivion. Twenty future Hokages, Naruto assessed, should not be stopped or even deflected easily by a jutsu that could only butcher other insects, and then only so long as those insects didn't carry explosives.

This was a miscalculation on Naruto's part. Shino's bugs had become better as he had become better at controlling them, and they raged like a twister, repelling some of the clones and tearing others apart, dispersing them. The end result was an untouched Shino, six defeated clones, thirteen clones still usable, and one surprised real Naruto, who retreated into a bush to hide. _He's just as annoying as before, _he thought, _but he's definitely a better fighter than I remember. Then again, I never really fought against him before. Damn it! I underestimated him._

He couldn't think much more, as he had to dodge the explosion from the tag that had arrived at his bush via Kunai Airlines. Sailing out of the bush and landing hard on his feet, Naruto attempted to mingle with his Bunshins, but found himself assailed by shuriken and insects directly.

"What the hell?" he said, narrowly out-maneuvering the onslaught. He evaded the long range attacks and got within melee range again, but the bugs and weapons ignored his clones and dogged his every step. He kept trying to swat the bugs away with his Tails of Light, and the bugs kept eating the chakra right away from them.

Naruto attempted to stab Shino in the arm, but the bug user's taijutsu had also improved, and their weapons clashed with flying sparks. Shino regarded Naruto impassively from underneath his hood, in that way that ticked Naruto off to no end.

"I anticipated your use of Kage Bunshin," he explained cooly, "And planted a female bug on the real you at the beginning of the match. Everywhere your true body goes is known to me, and as you can see, I am more than capable of repelling a full Bunshin taijutsu assault."

"Teme," Naruto growled to himself. He began to see that he was losing this fight, not because Shino was too powerful, but because his techniques were not suited to fight these Destruction Bugs. He could not hide from them, nor could he use his tails to fight them without wasting huge amounts of chakra. Of course, Naruto could always call upon the enormous reserves of chakra provided by his demon tenant, but he wanted to avoid that if possible; using it made him feel as though his own power was insufficient, and Kyuubi seemed to like reminding him of that. So how could he...?

Then the idea came to him. He turned it over in his head for a split second, then motioned to two of his Bunshins—not enough to prompt another Bug Wall, but enough to serve his purposes—and renewed his attack. This was a long shot, that was for certain. If it worked, it might just assure his victory. If not, then he was back at square one. Silently, he used two of his free Ghostly Arms to communicate the plan via Synchronization to his Bunshins.

After a few more exchanges, one of the clones managed to grab a hold of Shino's left arm. Seeing his chance, the second one grabbed his right. Naruto grit his teeth. It was now or never—they wouldn't be able to hold him long. He gave the silent signal. At once, both clones pumped an enormous amount of energy into their Tails of Light, and the clones that were standing watch did the same for good measure.

Whether Shino was afraid of the sudden blinding glow that was generated and was desperately trying to suppress it, or the bugs left his control in favor of devouring the generous meal, Naruto didn't know. But all of the bugs that he could see stopped attacking Naruto and the Bunshins and focused on the bright Tails. The bluff had worked.

Shino managed to break free of the clones' grip, but it was now too late. Naruto had reached the nearby stream and finished his hand seals already.

"**Suiton, Suiryuudan!**" (Water Style, Water Dragon Blast)

The giant dragon formed of water surged forth, arcing high into the air and roaring at the prospect of fresh prey. Its way blocked by the two Naruto clones that were still attacking him, the target had no chance of escaping. With a heavy splash, he fell to the dragon's maw.

When the water had settled to a large puddle, however, there was nothing there but a mass of bugs, scrambling to shake the water from their wings and get airborne again. Shino had replaced himself with a bug clone at the last moment. Naruto there bewildered, staring into the trees for some sign of the real Shino.

He reappeared rather quickly, leaping from a nearby bush and attacking with his Destruction Bugs from behind. Even Shino's stealth, apparently, had gotten better. Beneath the onslaught of bugs, the blond Gennin thrashed, writhed, screamed...

"Shino-kun!"

"Shino!"

The bug user's teammates cried out, pleading with him to stop. He was letting his insects work too long upon his victim. Serious pain was being inflicted. Shino had let them carry on, thinking that perhaps it might be a Bunshin—his female tracking bug had left its perch to eat the plentiful chakra that the blond had so generously provided at what was surely some cost to himself. Greater geniuses than he had left themselves exposed to Naruto when they thought they had won, only to be shown a new definition of humility for their mercy.

Yet the damage the bugs had inflicted was near the limit of what a human being could survive, and the body had not disappeared into smoke. Surely this had to be the real thing. Satisfied, Shino called off the attack, his bugs returning eagerly to their master to nurse the wounds inflicted by Naruto's swatting tails. Shino himself hurried forward, intending to help Naruto up.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I thought you might be..."

He stopped. Something beneath his feet—an elegant seal, by the looks of it—had begun to shine blue-white. Before he could move away or even send his bugs back into the air, it triggered, and the snap of cold air solidified the water around his feet, locking him into place. In front of him, the body of Naruto puffed out of existence.

"A Bunshin?" The voice came from all directions, finishing Shino's sentence for him. Looking up, Shino could see ten more Narutos waiting in the trees, speaking as one. His bugs swarmed once more from his sleeves, some of them coming up to guard him, preparing for a Bug Wall, another sub-swarm attacking the ice that bound him. The latter group made slow progress—it would take a few seconds for them to weaken it enough so that Shino could break free.

The true Naruto, hidden in the trees among his clones, needed less time than that. A few quick hand seals to alter the nature of his chakra, and he was set.

"**Reiude Ninpou: Raitsuchi Dageki!**" (Ghostly Arm Secret Art: Lightning Earth Strike)

Naruto brought one of his Ghostly Arms—one that he had not been using for his Tomoshibi no Kyuubi technique—into contact with Shino's chest, and forced the altered Chakra through it with the speed of a bolt of lightning. It looked similar to a bolt of lightning, as well, but this lightning was not electric; it was a wave of chakra that had the physical properties of earth and soil and crushed rock. Forcing such a large amount of chakra through the thin strand of his Arm all at once and at that speed wasn't easy on the Arm. In fact, it completely disintegrated it. Yet the attack did what it was supposed to do: Shino was knocked free of the bug-weakened ice shackles, flying into the brush.

Very little surprised Aburame Shino. But seeing the Naruto Battalion descending from the trees and charging him with all Tails blazing was not how he had expected to end the battle. The clones knocked aside his bugs, which were still valiantly trying to block their way. Then, ten feet away, they parted to reveal the real Naruto, rushing at him with his Rasengan in his hand. There was no way that Shino could disentangle himself in time. He had lost.

As the swirling ball of raw chakra stopped inches from his face and dissipated, Shino's thought was, _Apparently, near to the limit that a human being can survive is not sufficient to defeat Uzumaki Naruto. _

He allowed the blond to help him out of the brush and called back his bugs. The stronger shinobi had won this day. Now taking his seat to watch the practice match between Kiba and Hinata, he wondered whether or not the strongest heart would prevail today as well.

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Maito Guy was extremely pleased with himself. When he had been told that Neji had needed a capable Jounin to play the part of a helpless civilian and be ready to defend oneself against the Chuunin attackers should the examinee fail, he had volunteered out of affection for his former pupil. _For surely, _he thought, _my wonderful ex-student must have only the best to be truly effective. Nobody else can so dynamically play the part of a defenseless person and be on guard against Lee and Tenten at the same time!_

For once, Neji had had to agree that his old sensei's "dynamic" acting skills were very well-suited to the job; his tendency to be loudmouthed would give his location away to Tenten and Lee(whom Neji had drafted to be among the "enemies"), and his tendency to give too much effort to his task would see him falling into numerous traps—both real and imagined—thus slowing the examinee down considerably.

But Gai, of course, would have refused to hear this logic if it had been shouted into his ear, so he went on happily believing that he had been chosen because he was "dynamically and youthfully cool, most assuredly the ideal candidate, my student loves me..." et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseum.

Thus far, he had been stuck in "quicksand," half-dragged and half carried across what his "inner civilian" was certain was tar(Keisuke had given up trying to explain that it was merely very dark mud after five wasted minutes), attacked by his own students whom he had to be violently restrained from running up to and begging for mercy in his desire to dynamically fill his role, rescued from a shuriken-flinging trap mechanism(actually real), dropped from Keisuke's arms when an enemy kunai hit the blind man in the shoulder into a deep pool where he had dynamically pretended not to be able to swim, gotten himself wrapped up in bandages while he was trying to patch up Keisuke's shoulder and dynamically acting as though he were very bad at it, nearly swallowed by a crocodile while waiting for Keisuke to return from the enemy camp with the map, and very nearly beaten up by the frustrated examinee when he been caught, in dynamically feigned stupidity, trying to clean an alligator tooth wound using the map as a wash cloth.

Now, Keisuke was leading him along a shallow, supposedly safe route through the swamp back to the gate, bound up in metal wire "to keep you from misplacing your hands" as the examinee had told him. They had just left behind the unconscious Rock Lee, whom Gai had wept over loudly, praising the bravery and skill of the enemy until Keisuke had pulled him off with him. They were very near the blind man's goal. Within moments, the gate was in sight.

"At last," breathed Keisuke raggedly, feeling the metal of the latch mechanism with his Arms. He started walking forward at an increased pace, eager to be finished with the long and exhausting day.

However, five feet from the gate, he felt a newcomer enter their midst, and before he could react, he was under attack.

"**Hakke Kusho!**" (Eight Trigams Wind Palm)

Keisuke felt a gust of chakra blow him off of his feet. The feeling was familiar, as was the name of the technique... _like being blown back by Haruka's Kaiten, only it's a direct shot, and an offensive technique rather than an area-effect, defensive one. _

With Keisuke out of the way, the attacker sped straight at Gai. "Ah, my former student", he said praisingly, "How wonderfully you've developed!" If anyone present found it out of character to be saying this as the student was aiming a killing blow at his heart not twelve feet away, they gave no indication.

Neji's advance was put off momentarily by a flight of shuriken that whizzed through the air where he would have been a split second later had he kept going. He leaped back a short distance, waiting to see if any more were on their way.

There weren't, but Keisuke only needed those that he'd already thrown.

"**Hitoshirezu Shintou no jutsu!**"

The trunk of the tree where the shuriken had embedded themselves was ripped to shreds as the chakra stored within them detonated. The tree, which was rather large considering that few trees seemed to live very long in this swamp, fell into what had been Neji's path.

"**Byakugan!**" Neji looked straight through the tree, saw that neither Gai nor Keisuke was behind it. A few moments later, he located them in another tree, where Keisuke was securing Gai to the trunk and a branch with wire. He took his time waiting. He rather wanted to fight Keisuke without his busybody former teacher in the way, and Keisuke took his time at his own risk, for every moment detracted from his score.

When Keisuke came down from the tree twenty seconds later, he grinned in anticipation. His Byakugan saw the blind man in his entirety; the lengthy Ghostly Arms, all sixty-four of them, waving everywhere, serving him for eyes; the healthy amount of chakra that pulsed through his inner coils, and the smooth and elaborate way in which the system was all connected at the tenketsus, allowing chakra to flow freely between the inner and outer systems. The Rokujuuyon Reiude technique was truly a marvel when seen through the eyes of a Hyuuga.

"Now, we will see if this technique of yours is truly the terror that Hiashi-sama is so concerned about." he said.

He saw Keisuke smile and his eyebrows perk up in an amused expression. _Interesting, _Neji thought, _how just his brows can be expressive enough without the eyes below them._

"So Hiashi's told you about his fears, eh? Interesting, him confiding so in a Branch member," Keisuke replied.

"I'm his nephew," said Neji. "Hiashi-sama isn't all bad. Recently, he's even softened up a little—he is simply slow to warm up to change."

Keisuke seemed to ponder this a little, as though he were surprised to hear it. "Softened up, huh?" He murmured. "Well, I suppose that only makes my dream easier to realize."

Neji's own eyebrows arched. "Your dream, Keisuke-san?"

Keisuke's smile returned. "I will tell you," he said, "After I have won through that gate and taken a rank equal to yours, Neji-san."

That rare smile found its way to Neji's lips. He was very much going to enjoy testing this man who called Uzumaki Naruto his "little brother."

"Come."

OoOoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Nine OoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** I had to cut this one short, as it was simply getting too damned long. Sorry guys. I'll do Hinata's practice with Kiba, Naruto's reaction, and the end of Keisuke's test in the next chapter, and have it done as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I'll have Neji and Keisuke just wait here and dance for you. Try to imagine that: Neji dancing. LOL.

See you guys again, real soon.

By the way, since I didn't finish this, I'm dedicating the next chapter, also, to the three reviewers mentioned above. It's only fair. I know some of you were expecting a good NaruHina moment in there, so... yeah. Next chapter.


	12. C10: The Sweetest Reward

**A/N: **We'll continue that dedication, as this chapter is pretty much a continuation of the last one.

Incidentally, plots begin to form in my mind for a possible side story or sequel. Rudimentary plots, mind you, and likely it will be much shorter than Lacking Sight. I'll finish this story first, probably—it alone takes up more of my time than I'd like. :P

Thank you, Dragon Noir, for reminding me about the review replies in my forums. As of now, they will continue.

**Chapter Ten: The Sweetest Reward**

"**Insotsu Kokuin: Raikou!**"

With his Byakugan, it was easy for Neji to see the sixteen Ghostly Arms snake themselves around their master, but he could not guess the nature of the seal that was being carved. It was a mysterious looking seal, alien to the Hyuuga Jounin, written in an archaic language that he had never seen before. When finished, it gave off a faint yellow-white luminescence, but no other change was apparent, even to his superior eyes. The rest of the Arms continued to sweep the area around Keisuke, keeping tabs on the surroundings and on Neji.

Neji watched him, sitting relaxed in his Jyuuken stance, waiting for the enemy attack. Time was on his side; Keisuke's score would slowly degrade if he remained where he was. He would have to attack at some point, and there was no way that Neji would be surprised.

Keisuke seemed to know where he stood in all this. "Playing defense, as I expected. I can't say I blame you; it's much to your advantage in this scenario. Well, then," he said, drawing a pair of kunai, "I'll be taking the initiative!"

He charged. Neji immediately went to work with his Hakke Kusho, attempting to blast Keisuke off course, unbalance him so that Neji could make an uncountered offensive. Keisuke apparently was no slouch, though, and he moved with subtle swiftness, dodging no more and wasting no more energy than he needed to. Within moments, he had reached the Hyuuga Jounin.

Wielding his two kunai with surprising proficiency, the blind one hacked at Neji, forcing him to take up his own kunai in defense. Neji recognized this strategy; by forcing him to use a weapon in response to parry the sharp blades that were so skillfully wielded, Keisuke was effectively occupying his hands so that he could not use his Jyuuken without leaving himself open in some way. A number of Neji's opponents had utilized this tactic. Most of them had fallen anyway.

Neji leaped across the water and onto the tree that had fallen, and Keisuke followed. The Hyuuga Jounin, temporarily out of range of the Ghostly Arms' perception, took his opportunity to concentrate a large amount of his chakra within his left hand. When Keisuke landed upon the log, swinging his blades, Neji parried the nearest with the kunai in his right hand, then swung his enhanced Jyuuken at Keisuke's side.

At the last moment, Keisuke's feelers finally caught on, and he moved desperately to evade. The result was a glancing blow. Keisuke grimaced, knowing that it would hurt quite a bit once his nerves registered the damage. Neji suffered more immediate consequences. The seal shining upon Keisuke's skin crackled, the friction caused by Neji's chakra prompting its angry response. The Hyuuga jolted backward as electricity sparked into his body.

Keisuke took advantage of his openness, planting a kick in his chest. Neji, though hurting, was able to use the momentum of the kick to sail onto a nearby tree branch. He rubbed his hand where the electricity had entered his palm. _That isn't the best of feelings,_he thought. He knew, now, the purpose of that seal.

"You must have figured it out now, huh?" Keisuke said, "My lightning seal isn't normally my preferred technique. It can be more dangerous than the fire or frost seals, it's true. But just as one never knows where a true bolt of lightning will strike, so it is impossible to guess when and where the lightning from my seal will lash out. It's unpredictable, uncontrollable, and therefore unreliable."

Neji called back, "But against me, and all Hyuuga, it's the best one, isn't it? The Jyuuken... The raw chakra that is delivered by our unique taijutsu causes friction on the seal, triggering the lightning. Every Jyuuken hit will return damage to the Hyuuga that used it. It is an 'eye for an eye' technique."

"Very astute, Neji-san," said Keisuke, "Naruto was right when he told me you were a genius." _Although, _he thought, _there are ways to manipulate how much lightning is generated. The more direct a hit is, the less friction it will cause and the less electricity will spark. A truly skilled Hyuuga will notice this and move accordingly, only taking a Jyuuken shot when they are sure that they will not glance me._

Neji pondered his situation. Through his Byakugan, he could see that Keisuke was slowly pouring his chakra into the Ghostly Arms that made up his seal, as was obviously required to maintain it. _If I could stop his chakra flow, _he thought, _then it will nullify the technique. But will hitting his tenketsus work?_ His eyes lingered on the tenketsus, where the Reiude joined with the inner chakra system. _Or... does the Reiude block that power of ours?_

Keisuke leaped up into the tree after him, whirling his kunai in an aggressive, coordinated assault. Neji through shuriken, forcing him to change course. Keisuke missed the branch, hit the trunk, ran up it to attempt to leap behind Neji. Neji saw this and ran up the trunk after him, drawing his second kunai. They fought vertically there for a time, neither side gaining ground, neither power losing it. Every now and again, sparks would fly threateningly from Keisuke's seal, but no lightning struck. Neji was surprised that the metal of the knives did not conduct electricity between them, but then he noted that the seal did not quite extend to Keisuke's fingers, stopping at the back of the hand.

_So the danger comes only from the seal,_ Neji thought, _not from the user. _

When Keisuke left himself a small opening, Neji dropped one kunai and used his fingers to deliver a small jolt of chakra to the right side of his chest, where a small patch of skin was not covered by the seal. It was not enough to really damage Keisuke, but it had the intended effect; the blind man staggered back a little bit, and slackened his grip on his weapons. Neji was in position to try his next idea.

"**Jyuuken Hou: Hakke Rokujuuyonsho!**"

Keisuke's eyebrows arched in surprise. He hadn't had this used on him in a long time.

"Two Strikes! Four! Eight! Sixteen, Thirty-Two, Sixty-Four!" The blows all landed correctly, Neji was certain of that. He'd hit every tenketsu. Some of them had jolted him slightly with a spark of electricity, but the jolt was choked off as the Ghostly Arm was dislodged from its seal. Keisuke was driven back up the tree, trying desperately and in vain to mount some kind of counteroffensive. When it was finished, the seal was gone. Yet, Keisuke still clung to the tree with the chakra at his feet, though the Rokujuuyon Sho was supposed to stop all chakra flow.

Neji's eyes widened slightly in amazement. The possessors of the Rokujuuyon Reiude were completely immune to Hyuuga tenketsu manipulation.

"Impressive, Keisuke-san," he said. "Your power prevents me from stopping your chakra flow. It is indeed a formidable ability against the Hyuuga style."

"You aren't bad, yourself, young man," Keisuke returned, "You didn't stop my chakra, it's the truth. But you hit all of the tenketsus accurately, and triggered a troublesome reflexive action. Haruka figured out a while back that pushing on a tenketsu will force the Arm to straighten itself, sort of like hitting a human knee joint will trigger the kicking reflex. You effectively broke my seal, Neji-san. The lightning that troubled you is gone."

Neji nodded. He'd seen this himself with his Byakugan. "Your move, Keisuke-san."

Keisuke started to form a new seal, but Neji saw it and launched a new assault, breaking his concentration. Gripping his weapons firmly, Keisuke parried and returned the favor. The two leaped from tree to tree, Keisuke's blades flashing, Neji parrying with one blade and readying himself to Jyuuken him with his free hand when Keisuke slipped up.

Numerous times, Keisuke attempted to form a new Kokuin seal, but always Neji saw it and stopped it by either attacking too furiously for Keisuke to be able to concentrate or by striking a tenketsu or two, disrupting the formation. Eventually, Neji managed to get a solid hit on the blind man, the Jyuuken hitting him squarely in the sternum. Keisuke fell several feet and landed on his back on a branch.

"AH! So you've come back for me after all!" cried a voice behind him. "Is the danger gone, great shinobi? It's very uncomfortable here; I've come close to being attacked by several man-eating mosquitoes and eye-gouging gnats, but fortunately, they've seen the powerful youth within me and known that it was not my time."

Keisuke rolled his head back to see Gai behind him. "Eye-gouging gnats, huh?"

"Yes! Vicious, un-dynamic little beasts that would have rendered me more blind than you had I not been so youthful! Have you defeated the evil, horrible ninja yet?"

Groaning, Keisuke climbed to his feet. Neji was waiting for him several branches up. Emphasizing_ once again that he has all the time in the world, while mine only grows shorter._ He was within striking range should Keisuke decide to try a new seal, but he obviously was interested in seeing what Keisuke had in mind next.

"No, Gai, I haven't."

"That is no surprise," Gai said, "The opponent that you face is strong in his youth. He will be impossible to beat unless you match that dynamic youth with your own!"

_How's that possible? _Keisuke wondered. _The last time I checked, people grew older with time, not younger._ He did not say this; he had no desire to have the man go into another impassioned speech as he had the last time he had been questioned.

What he said was, "I have one technique that I haven't tried on a Hyuuga yet. I've been trying to save it for more dire circumstances..."

"You should not hold it back!" Gai interrupted. "If these are not dire circumstances—you at a disadvantage before a genius, your career on the line—then what are?"

Keisuke thought about those words. He did have a point...

"My own student, Rock Lee," said Gai, forgetting all pretense of being in character, "Wished to save his trump card for his greatest challenge. Yet he realized that if he did not use it then, there was a great chance that he would never arrive at that challenge! Though he lost his fight, his youthful spirit was a great and moving example to all who watched!"

A moment passed in which Keisuke finally began to consider the possibility that perhaps Maito Gai was not completely useless after all.

"You are right, of course," he finally said. "If I don't make Jounin rank, then I will find my dream more difficult to achieve. If I use my trump card, I will ensure my success at this point, though I won't be able to surprise my opponent later. It's a choice between a challenge now and a challenge later, possibly being stopped here versus knowing you will at least have the chance to get to the goal..."

He glanced up at Neji. "Your student was wise, Gai, if not victorious. I think I'll follow his example."

"Ah, the spirit of youth!" Gai cried. "I know you will be successful! Yosh! Keisuke... GO!"

Smiling, the blind man turned back to his opponent, and began the alterations that would turn the tide of the battle.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

From his perch in a young black walnut tree, Naruto watched Kiba and Hinata walk to a new clearing, the old one still suffering from the thorough soaking that Naruto had inflicted upon it. The fresh clearing was smaller, but mercifully dry. Shino walked with them, settling beneath the tree that Naruto was hanging from.

Naruto called a word of encouragement to Hinata, with pleasing results. Kiba yelled up to him in feigned anger and real annoyance, to which Naruto smiled evilly. Hinata, who's blood had climbed up into her face, faced him and responded affirmatively, swearing to give her all. Despite himself, Naruto felt that unfamiliar, pleasant feeling that he'd been getting around Hinata since his return. _It's good that she's so self-confident now,_ he told himself.

In his mind he was convinced that he was enjoying seeing the once-self-underestimating girl grow into a self-assured woman while still remaining a good person. While this was a true fact, it was only part of the source of the feeling. His body had other ideas, ones that became more pronounced as the match began.

It was a warm day. Hinata had removed her jacket. Naruto, being a still-developing but fully functional young man, reacted accordingly.

He watched Kiba and Akamaru charge her, angling in at different directions. He saw Hinata dance around them both. He witnessed Kiba turn and fling a barrage of kunai knives at her, and saw her swat them from the air effortlessly with a brief slicing movement, her chakra lancing out like a sword to cut the projectiles down. Naruto observed Akamaru pounce on her from the rear, bore witness to Hinata's light somersault out of harm's way and her subtle retaliation.

Her movements were graceful, elegant, precise, and subtle. This was no battle. This was a dance, almost like an ice show, but that Hinata needed no skates to glide across the dirt. Within minutes, Kiba and Akamaru were completely forgotten, Naruto held in thrall by the beautiful dance.

_This is better than that time Keisuke and Ero-Sennin went into the bar together to watch those women dance around that pole, _he thought wistfully. Suddenly, Naruto was struck with a realization.

Jiraiya had waved money at those dancers, and the dancers had smiled at him. When the dance had ended, Jiraiya had gone with one of them through a door. When, after Naruto had attempted the same feat and Keisuke had dragged him out of the bar, he asked what was going on in the room, Keisuke had explained.

"_Jiraiya-sama waved the money to show that he enjoyed the dance," Keisuke said. "That room back there is where the dancer's safe is. The dancer was showing Jiraiya where to put the money so that it would be safe for her while she was working."_

While Naruto had not believed a word of Keisuke's explanation, recognizing the harried tone that he'd been using, he had seen the dancer smile at Ero-Sennin. Remembering that, and glancing at the spectacular show the pretty girl was putting on, Naruto was seized with a sudden desire to have Hinata smile that way at him. With his eyes still glued to the dance, he reached into his jacket for his wallet.

Then his eyes went wide with horror. "Aaahh! Gama-chan is missing!" he cried. Frantically, he took off his jacket, searched every pocket for some sign of his beloved frog-shaped wallet.

"It's gotta be on me somewhere," he panted, tossing the jacket from the tree and proceeding to his pants.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"**Jyuuken!**"

Hinata slammed her palm into Kiba's gut, a direct hit. It was only a practice match, of course, so the blow had very little chakra in it, but the wild man got the message. He'd taken a direct hit twice now. Had they been real Jyuuken hits, he'd be out cold, possibly dead.

Kiba stepped back, fell to one knee, exhausted. "Good match, Hinata," he said. Akamaru bounded forward to his master's side, woofing his agreement.

"Arrigatou, Kiba-kun. You, too."

Hinata acknowledged the nod from Shino, then looked around for her team's guest. Concern spread to her heart as she realized that he wasn't nearby, and he wasn't in the tree he'd started in. _Wha-? Where did Naruto-kun go?_ Could he have run away, afraid to tell her what he thought of her performance? Was it possible that he found it... unappealing? Boring? Not worth his time? She hung her head, and her eyes fell to the ground at her feet.

They came to rest on an orange and black jacket. Immediately, her mood perked up; Naruto had not left. He wouldn't forget his jacket or... _his pants?_ She had now spotted the blond ninja's sub-belt garb, lying ten yards or so away and off to the left. Now she was getting a bit unnerved. _He's naked somewhere..._ She turned a radical shade of red, imagining the boy strolling through the woods without any clothes. Then, a frustrated cry from above made her look up...

Right into the folds of a black tee-shirt, which fluttered down onto her head. Darkness enveloped her as the shirt's owner jumped from the tree he'd been searching, landing before her and her teammates.

"I've lost him! I've lost Gama-chan!" he proclaimed.

For about ten seconds, nobody said anything. Then, Naruto spoke again. "Huh? Hinata? What's my shirt doing on your head?"

Hinata debated whether or not she should remove the shirt. An inner battle raged between two sides of her subconscious. She could take it off of her head and spare herself some embarrassment—she must have looked rather ridiculous at the moment. On the other hand, though, taking it off and handing it back to him involved her seeing Naruto without his shirt and without his pants. Was she ready for that yet? Plus, there was the small matter of her never having had her face pressed into _his shirt..._

At that point, Kiba made a sharp whistle and said, "Whoa, somebody's been working out."

Hinata's decision was made for her. Hurriedly, she whipped the garment off of her head, taking a step or two towards Naruto (who, thankfully, still wore his boxers) and held the shirt out to him. She made an effort not to stare at him. After the first glance, though, it was difficult not to. Kiba had not been kidding; though compact, Naruto's well-muscled chest, arms, and thighs would definitely have won him at least an honorable mention in any body-builder competition. She couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her face as he pulled his pants and shoes back on.

Naruto caught her. "What's the matter, Hinata? Is there something on me?" He turned to reach around his back, exposing his strong back.

"Ano... no... Nothing there."

He looked at her in a confused, questioning way, wondering what the staring had been about. Hinata grew nervous watching his blue eyes search hers. Would he figure it out now? If so, was she prepared to answer for it?

Finally, the blond boy gave up, shrugged, and pulled his shirt back on, much to Hinata's relief. Not many things could reduce her to the verge of hysteria anymore, but this happy little situation was a rare and special occasion. The heavy crimson in her face began to fade away as Naruto turned to pick up his jacket.

Once fully dressed, Naruto began muttering something unintelligible. Hinata thought she caught the words "Ero-Sennin", "wallet", "money", and "dancing," but decided not to think much of it. Her real focus was on another set of words. Now, how to go about getting him to say them?

Kiba, again, came to the rescue. "So, Naruto," he said, putting an arm around his old friend's shoulder, "What did you think of that little match?"

Naruto gave a nervous smile. "Well, uh... to tell the truth..."

This was it: he was going to tell her (tell Kiba, really, but she would hear it too, so what did it matter?) how he liked her display. Among the reasons she'd had to work so hard these past three years, this one moment was one of the most important. This was the man whose words had helped her to become the success she was today; his opinion meant the world to her, and he could propel her confidence through the sky or shoot it down in flames with a single remark.

"I really didn't see most of it. I lost my wallet, see, and I've been running around looking for it so..."

The pilot of H.M.A. (Hinata's Mental Airship) Confidence struggled to maintain altitude through the gray clouds. The co-pilot, reading the meters, was calling out, "I can't get a reading at all, Captain! All we can see in these clouds is the color gray!" Suddenly, the engine sputtered, and the propellers ground to a halt. "Damn it," growled the Captain. "We need more information _now_, son." H.M.A. Confidence hung suspended for a moment, then began to slowly sink.

"Hey, hey, but you know what?" Naruto said, "Those first few minutes were awesome! Hinata's moving this way, that way, nothing touching her, then **BAM!** Direct shot on dog-breath's guts! Oh, uh... sorry Kiba, you were alright, too..."

Kiba didn't really look that hurt. He'd been trying to get Naruto to talk about this, after all.

"...but anyway, that was really amazing, Hinata. You moved like you were gliding over some kinda cloud, or something."

The clouds parted around the H.M.A. Confidence, revealing the sun. Its heat burned away the gray and kickstarted the engine. The propellers whirred to life once again. The Captain smiled. "Take her up, number two. High as she'll go."

Hinata's smile and blush illuminated her face more brightly than the sun. Naruto, looking at her, forgot about everything else. _Screw waving money around... Compliments do the job just fine. Better than fine,_ he added.

"Arrigatou, Naruto-kun."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keisuke's face screwed up in concentration. Neji only wondered for a moment what he could be doing before dropping from his perch to attempt to stop him—whatever it was, it sure did seem to require much focus, and techniques like that tended to be either highly specialized or highly dangerous. Neji was betting on the latter.

Ready for this, Keisuke flung a kunai at the branch that Neji would land on in mere seconds. Not wasting his breath on a battle cry, he formed the seal that would detonate the chakra, blowing the branch out from underneath Neji, who was forced to leap backwards to avoid the wooden shrapnel. Unfortunately, there were no branches to cling to in that direction, so Neji had to wait for himself to hit the ground before he could run back up to Keisuke. That would take too much time; The Hyuuga Jounin would not be able to stop the blind man. Grim-faced, Neji watched Keisuke perform his change.

What he saw astonished him. Thirty-two of the Ghostly Arms had bent over double, each reaching over to one of it's neighbors. Neji fought to keep himself from gaping in awe as these neighbors were ripped from their tenketsus entirely and spun around the Arms that had freed them, being absorbed by them. Keisuke's chakra coursed through both sets of thirty-two with an alarming intensity, fusing them together. To Neji's eyes, the glow of chakra was blinding.

"Metamorphosis complete," Keisuke said. "Behold: **Sanjuuni Reiude!**" (Thirty-two Ghostly Arms)

"Sanjuuni Reiude..." Neji murmured, "I see. By detaching an arm and fusing it together with another, you strengthen each individual Arm. The chakra capacity is more than doubled, and the Arms are even semi-solid." He pondered a little bit. "I suppose that this would make your Kokuin seals more effective?"

Keisuke smiled wide. "Not only that, but the doubled strength of the individual Arms enables them to resist that troublesome reflexive impulse that comes from having their tenketsus struck. The chakra capacity of each new super-Arm is two-and-a-half times that of a normal one, and, as you say, the power of my Kokuin and trap seals is magnified by a similar factor."

"Amazing, Keisuke-san," Neji said. "Whatever the outcome of this battle, I have truly enjoyed seeing this."

"I've enjoyed it likewise," Keisuke said. _Although, the Sanjuuni Reiude is far from flawless, _he thought to himself. _It's visible to normal human eyes, and it leaves me with less to feel around with. And over time, the abnormal amount of chakra pulsing through the Arms will slowly corrode them. At my current level, I can only make it last about five minutes. After that, all the arms waste away, and they won't grow back until tomorrow._

Grimacing at the prospect of being without his feelers for a whole day, Keisuke set himself to do what must be done. His kunai he raised high into the air, as if challenging the sky.

Neji watched and waited. _That's a lot of power he's channeling. I wouldn't be surprised if he really feels drained after this. He must be planning a last-ditch, high-power offensive, to finish the fight as quickly as possible. I wonder what it is. _He saw the bright super-Arms twist and writhe, shining with power, into a formation on Keisuke's skin. _Lightning again?_

When the seal finished, Keisuke brought the hand holding the kunai down hard and fast, cutting Gai's bonds. _What?_ Neji thought. Surely his old instructor couldn't have impacted Keisuke so much that he was carrying him into battle now, so what could he be doi... _Oh, no. _The realization came too late. Keisuke had grabbed Gai by the waist.

"**Chisoku no Kokuin!**" (Carved Seal of Progression)

Dashing, running, sprinting... whatever word you could use for it, it wasn't enough. Keisuke's speed-enhancing seal, multiplied by two-and-a-half, resulted in a torso and a head with blurred-out legs cruising for the gate. He reached it in six seconds. Neji, who hadn't had quite the equivalent of Rock Lee's grueling speed training, arrived twelve seconds after that. _Crafty as a Jounin should be, _Neji mused.

When all of them stood outside of the enclosure together, Keisuke dropped Gai unceremoniously to the ground (which Gai approved, seeing as it was a "dynamic climax"). Neji did not look at Gai, however. He looked straight at Keisuke in wonder.

"You out-thought me," he said. "I felt for certain that you would want to finish that battle, but you did as an elite shinobi would, achieving the objective with as little hesitation as possible. I acknowledge my failure."

"Don't call it your failure," Keisuke replied, "But rather think of it as my victory, Neji-san. And yours as well, if you buy into my dream."

Neji recalled him talking about his dream earlier. "Would you explain this dream of yours for me, Keisuke-san?"

"It could take a while to tell you the whole story."

"We'll send Gai-sensei to the medical unit for analysis, and I'll take that map you've got there," Neji said. He motioned for an attendant to carry Gai away, and extended his hand for the paper. "Is that blood on it? Never mind. Turn off your Reiude and sit down—you can tell me the story while we wait for your score."

Keisuke grimaced. "Unfortunately, I can't turn it off, Neji-san, or even reduce it. The change is irreversible."

"Irreversible?" Neji asked, curious. "You aren't like this permanently, are you?"

"Oh, no. You'll see them fade out completely in about two minutes... they'll have corroded into nothing, and I'll be totally blind until they regrow overnight."

"I see," said Neji. "So like most power in the world, this one does not come without sacrifices."

"Indeed," Keisuke said. "But now, I have a story to tell. I'll tell you what I told Haruka and Sakura-san..."

It took a while to tell, but by the end of it, Keisuke had found himself another ally in his life's quest. And when it was finished, the attendant returned with Keisuke's score.

OoOoOoO End Chapter Ten OoOoOoO

**A/N: **And so the stage is set for some real conflict. Next chapter: Be prepared! It's the beginning of the big Uzumaki and Friends vs. Hyuuga Old-Timers street war!

Once again, your reviews will be replied to in my forums.


	13. C11: Emotional Evening

**A/N: **Okay, so I lied. The street war is postponed until the next chapter, because the plot that leads up to it is, once again, too damned long to be contained in a single chapter. Please forgive me!

Awesome work on the reviews, please keep it up! Any errors, discontinuities, inconsistencies, and wrongness must be reported to me immediately! All your friends must read it and give their own views!

My initial work on my new author site is complete, and ready for your scrutiny. You'll find the link on my profile, but in case you don't want to wait, you can copy-paste the URL below:

http/ hope that my review replies got posted through all of the muck-ups the other day. Wouldn't want you guys to get bored waiting for my update. ;)

**Chapter Eleven: Emotional Evening**

To say that Hinata was on cloud nine was an understatement. Her day had begun as normally as it ever did these times; she woke up shortly after dawn, practiced with Neji-nii-san, ate breakfast, meditated to practice her chakra control in the garden, checked with Hokage-sama to see if there were any missions for her, went to the market... a perfectly routine morning. However, that was where the normalcy ended. On her way home from the market, she had met her beloved Naruto-kun and his friends at Keisuke-san's new home, and Naruto had agreed—whether or not it was out of boredom, she did not know, and now in the afterglow of the glorious day did not care—to join her and her teammates for their afternoon practice.

She had born witness to Naruto's new and fascinating skill, watched him defeat her teammate Shino against difficult odds, and (this part brought the red color back to her face) glanced at his unclothed torso, a memory which would linger forever and give her even stranger dreams than normal tonight. Best of all, Naruto had seen _her_ practice match, and, though admittedly he was distracted throughout most of it, he had looked her in the eyes and confessed that he had liked what he'd seen. He'd called it "awesome" and "amazing" and given her that glorious smile that she loved so much...

All of Hinata's dreams of changing herself from a hesitant, weak person into a strong woman worthy of acknowledgment had now been realized. She had her father's respect, the village's open support, Neji-nii-san's willing help, and now she had her Naruto-kun's acknowledgment and even his lavish praise. If an enemy shinobi had hacked her to pieces that very moment, she almost would not have cared.

The fact that Naruto was walking next to her on her way home was icing on the cake. Her still-dominant shy aspect prevented her from singing her happiness, but that was fine, since Naruto seemed to be able to do enough talking for the both of them. He cheerfully went on and on and on about a seemingly endless number of topics, including the difficulties during his match with Shino, the similarities between that match and another battle that he'd fought during his travels, further praise for Hinata's excellent performance (more blushing), similarities and differences between her and his friend Haruka, whom Hinata had not yet met, the entertainment value of the rivalry between Haruka and Keisuke...

"It's really funny, the lengths they'll go to to make each other look inferior," he said. "Haruka beats Keisuke, and Keisuke genjutsus her in a random public place so that she hears things and flips out... Keisuke beats Haruka, and he wakes up wondering why everyone is staring at him funny until Jiraiya asks what that picture of him—the one with him passed out in a dumpster, naked, with a bloody head and a stray kitten attached to his face—is doing posted up all over town."

Hinata giggled softly at that remark and kept listening to him, all her cares forgotten, as he went on to explain how Keisuke was such a great guy (if a little over-relaxed in his free time), how he'd taught Naruto all about the Rokujuuyon Reiude, how versatile it was, and how awesome it would be if it were, as he thought, a Bloodline Limit jutsu. Hinata wondered about this last part herself. _If he bears his own Kekkai Genkai, then because he is an orphan, he is the heir to it's legacy... that puts him on a politically equal level with me!_

She tuned Naruto out for a little while, caught up in daydreams involving a politically arranged marriage that would eventually turn into a passionate love...as she let her imagination run rampant, her thoughts raised more blood to her face and caused her blond companion to look at her with concern. He brought his blue eyes level with hers and said, "Hey, Hinata, you sick or something? You're turning an interesting neon red there..."

Hinata shook her head, insisting truthfully that nothing was wrong. _Things could not be going more right,_ she thought. Naruto kept his eyes warily on her for a moment, then continued talking.

"Alright... so anyway, the Reiude is great for a lot of things, and I don't think I even know half of its uses yet. So far, I know Tomoshibi no Kyuubi, Keisuke's Kokuin seals, trap seals—Keisuke says I'm pretty creative with those—the arms make great motion sensors, too, and then there's those elemental lightning strikes, you saw me use one of those on Shino... Um... Oh, yeah! The Synchronization technique!"

Hinata was curious about this one, and about the enthusiastic manner in which Naruto mentioned it. "Synchronization, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah!" he said. "It's awesome when you use it with the right person. Keisuke and Haruka do it all the time, when they aren't harassing each other. It gives both people complete access to their combined chakra pool, and they can even feel, see, and hear everything that the other person does. The way it works, the person with the Reiude sticks some of his Arms into the other person's tenketsus and then..."

"Ano, Naruto-kun?" Hinata interrupted gently.

Naruto was surprised at the polite interruption; Hinata had been practically silent through the whole trip. But he shrugged it off and smiled at her, eager to explain the arcane workings of his and Keisuke's unique art.

"What's up, Hinata? Got a question?"

"Yes... Um, how can you link the Arms between your tenketsus and the other person's if... if you can't see them?"

"Good question," Naruto said. "Not even I really have the hang of it yet. Keisuke says that the best way to do it is let the Arms themselves tell you what to do; meaning that since you know where your own tenketsus are by where your Ghostly Arms are attached, you can imagine where they are on the other person and feel them out easily. He says that if you do it often enough it becomes an automatic thing, where you can find them without really thinking about it. I guess I'm not at that point yet, though." He grinned sheepishly, unaccustomed to admitting his own shortcomings.

"One day, though, I'll get it," he said, "And once I've got the perfect partner—maybe Kakashi-sensei or Sakura—we'll have enough power between us to beat the crap out of Orochimaru! I'll bring Sasuke back without a problem!"

Hinata had been about to calmly, offhandedly (or as close to such as the shy girl might have gotten) suggest Synchronizing with a Byakugan user like Keisuke, but at the mention of Sasuke, she stopped. She remembered the conversation that Naruto had had with Kakashi-sensei, the one that she had eavesdropped on. She remembered the worry she had felt for Naruto, remembered acting like nothing was wrong all the way to practice while she inwardly prayed that he would come through this mess alive and whole.

_Uchiha Sasuke almost killed Naruto-kun the last time they met... If they meet again, fight again... at their level, there will be no 'almost' this time. _This line of thinking progressed down its dark path only a few moments longer before Hinata stopped it. Worrying for Naruto's safety would not do anything to his benefit. She knew that bringing Uchiha back into the light was very important to him, and he would not relent until he had done it.

"_It's a promise of a lifetime, Sakura-chan!" "I'm not going to take back my words! That's my nindo!"_

_It is my nindo as well, Naruto-kun,_ she thought. Naruto's fist was still raised in a silent oath, renewing the promise to retrieve Sasuke or die. She brought her small hands up to the fist and clasped it.

The reaction was immediate. Naruto jerked his head towards her with surprise on his face, which multiplied when he saw her serious eyes boring into him. It was an intense gaze, one that he had seen only one time before—moments before their first Chuunin examination, when Hinata had insisted that he was not a regular dropout, but a proud failure who became stronger because of his mistakes. He had had a similar reaction then. His eyes had gone wide, almost in shock, as they did now.

There were differences between that time and this one; this time, Hinata's pleading outburst was physical, not verbal. Last time, they had stood a good ten feet away, at least. This time, she was right there in front of him. Last time, Naruto's mental response was four words—_Damn, Hinata's pretty cool!_ This time, it had been shortened to only three words—_Damn, Hinata's pretty. _He lowered his fist to side, and Hinata's hands followed it, clinging to it, gently demanding that he pay attention.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Ehehe... yeah, Hinata?"

"Naruto-kun, I... when you were speaking to Kakashi-sensei earlier, I was listening." Now she didn't to touch him to get his attention. His eyes were riveted to her now—a situation that she almost would have killed for on any less serious occasion.

His face had darkened slightly. "So, you know, huh?"

"Yes. Naruto-kun, I never liked Sasuke-san much, but..."

"Who would?" Naruto said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "He's a bastard, a traitor, a genius who thinks he's entitled to everything, who'll sell out anyone—even himself—just kill his _own brother_..." He trailed off, apparently in some mental distress.

Hinata took the opportunity to continue speaking. "I never liked him much, but I know how important it is to you to bring him back... him being your teammate and all..."

Naruto couldn't say anything, his face growing darker still, his eyes falling from her towards the ground at his feet. She knew he was reliving his last encounter with Sasuke, playing it over and over in his mind until he grew emotionally sick.

"I also know how dangerous it could be to save him, and... well, I worry for you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's head lifted back into her eyes. "Hinata? You worry about me?"

Hinata's face rapidly turned pink. "Ah... yes, Naruto-kun... because..."

"Of course!" Naruto said, knocking himself in the head with his free hand as if remembering something that was common knowledge, "It's because we're such great friends... How did I forget that? I'd have worried about you if Kiba were out to kill you, or some such thing..."

Hinata just stared for a moment, dumbstruck. It seemed that even though Naruto had matured in mind and body, there was still much leftover in his "common knowledge" that differed from everyone else's. Hinata, however, still could not overcome her shy aspect to correct him.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about me," he went on, "If I'm right, Sasuke has enough good left in him to not kill me right away. I'll have the chance to talk him out of... whatever it is he plans on doing."

Hinata smiled wanly at him. "I'm sure that you can do it, Naruto-kun," she said, "But..."

"Thatta girl!" Naruto exclaimed, "I knew if I couldn't count on anyone else to have faith in me, I could still count on you."

Slightly exasperated at all the interruptions, Hinata raised her voice a decibel, something that she almost never did—though now she felt it necessary. "Naruto-kun!"

He shut up. Once again, his eyes were large with surprise, and he was listening intently.

Satisfied, Hinata continued, "I know I can't stop you from doing this dangerous thing, and I know that you have the strength to do it. But I also know that Sasuke-san might be very strong as well—we don't know for sure, but he could be far more powerful than you. If you cannot talk him down..."

She paused, briefly imagined Naruto impaled on a large katana, his life's blood splashing all over the ground, his body spasming, thrashing, then relaxing into death. Shaking her head violently, she banished the image, forced herself to continue speaking.

"I know you are truly strong, Naruto-kun, and there is nobody who can deny that anymore. But I won't be able to stop worrying until it's over with, unless I am there with you."

Naruto's blue pupils focused with the intensity of laser beams into her own pleading white eyes. She knew he was seeking for the true motivation. Was he beginning to suspect...? It didn't matter now. While she had his attention, she had to finish making her case.

"Not only for you, Naruto-kun... Sakura-chan is mixed up in this, too," she said. "Deep within herself, she wages an inner war; part of her knows that Sasuke-san betrayed her and everyone in the village, and wants to stay away, and the other part—the part that prevails right now—believes that he can be saved, and because she loves him still, she clings to this belief and strengthens herself for the trouble ahead.

"Sakura-chan is my friend, Naruto-kun, and so... so are you. Both of you will go to extremes to take Sasuke-san back, and I worry that it will be the end of you. I don't want it to be." Her eyes were glistening now with unshed tears. Still they held Naruto, commanded his deference to her fears.

"I want to help you two, Naruto-kun. For your sake and... and for mine." Her voice slowly lowered until it was almost a whisper. As she finished her head drooped, her mind exhausted by the emotional effort. Her hands still held his clenched fist tightly, but she had no more to say; the hands demanded his speech now, rather than his attention.

He was at loggerheads with himself. Hinata's offer was good and kind, and Naruto would rather have given up ramen for three days than refuse a kind offer from a pretty girl, especially after such an impassioned plea. On the other hand, though, Hinata was a good person with her whole, rich life ahead of her and, as he was growing ever more aware, beautiful; it would be a shame to see her throw away her life.

For a while they merely stood there on the street, alone except for the flickering of the night lamps, coming on as the sun began to set. Hinata waited patiently as Naruto turned things over in his mind, weighing the merits of accepting her help and of refusing. As the silence dragged on, her grip on his fist tightened. _What am I supposed to say? _he asked.

He was saved from his decision, for the moment, by the appearance of a short young man in clothing similar to Naruto's, who dropped from the street lamp he'd been perching on. He landed awkwardly and had to catch himself with one hand to keep from hitting his face on the pavement. Both Naruto and Hinata turned to face him, mutely surprised at his sudden dropping in.

"Agh," said the young man, picking himself up, "I'm still not used to my normal body, damn it..." He was pale in complexion, had long, straight black hair, and bland facial features that wouldn't have looked out of place in any crowd.

Hinata gasped lightly in recognition. "Ah! You are one of those copies... the mass-produced dopplegangers who took Naruto-kun's form to attack the village!"

Naruto stared. "So _that's_ what they really looked like..."

"N-0234, at your service," said the former Naruto clone, bowing clumsily.

"Why are you here?" asked Hinata, watching him warily and looking for indicators of hostility.

"Now, now, Hyuuga-san," replied 0234, "I've been questioned enough, I think. Ask Ibiki yourselves... he'll tell you that I've spilled just about everything for your sakes." He paused, then grinned ominously. "Well, almost everything..."

Neither Naruto nor Hinata relaxed. "Quit trying to mess with our heads, or I'll show you how my head can mess with _you,_" said the blond. "Sabaku no Gaara can tell you all about how that feels."

The grin dropped from N-0234's face. He sighed. "Alright. First I'll tell you why I didn't tell Ibiki what I'm about to tell you," he began. "Now listen... The Uchiha is here on Orochimaru's behalf, as you could have guessed. He's been sent as a response to a message sent by a political figure in Konoha... one that wants to ally with Orochimaru to crush Konoha, for reasons that grunts like me aren't told."

N-0234 had told Ibiki these things, but all this information was new to Naruto. His face was screwed up, thinking over the words, absorbing the information. "Keep talking."

The former clone nodded. "Now, this guy that I don't know provides the Uchiha with all the information that Konoha's council has that he needs, such as what shinobi are deployed where at any given time, who the Hokage's meeting with, what decisions are being made... and what information is being tortured out of prisoners.

"Now, I know that I'm going to be killed off anyway," said the clone, at which Hinata and Naruto started. He held up his hand to silence them. "Listen, it's the truth. Uchiha and his accomplices don't let those of us who get captured live. They assassinate them to prevent us from spilling, or, if it's too late for that, they do it to get revenge for our spilling.

"I knew that I'd be dead the moment they got a chance, so I decided to spill as much as I could. But I held one thing back, for a good reason. Since the Uchiha knows everything that Konoha knows, he'd be able to evacuate before the village mustered a raiding party. I thought it would be better if I held off on telling the whole village, and instead try to tell you—the one person that the Uchiha doesn't count on to know anything, and so isn't spying on."

A change came over Naruto. He was shaking with excitement, and his eyes were bright with hope. "Evacuate?" he asked in a voice that trembled like his body, "Where? Where!"

The grin returned. "The place where I, along with my one-thousand-odd brothers, every one of us bred from genetically manipulated Kedouai Clan blood, were born into the world with the purpose of wreaking havoc. Orochimaru's old laboratory..."

"All right!" Naruto half-shouted. I'm going to tell Kakashi-sensei and Sakura, and we'll go in after that bastard first thing tomorrow!"

"Hey, hey," said 0234, "There's no guarantee that he's still there. There's no guarantee that he was ever there, really. That's just where we were all made. I'm saying that, because I didn't spill that fact, the Uchiha doesn't have any pressing reason to abandon the facility. There might be something there, there might not. But since you don't have any leads," he finished, "I figure it would be the best place to get one."

"Hey, thanks, mister... uh... whatever you are," said Naruto appreciatively. He had a big smile on his face now.

"N-0234. Naruto-clone number two-hundred and thirty-four," he replied. "It's not a problem. I don't have any love for my creator, and this is the best way to be useful to his enemies before he gets me." He shrugged. "I will warn you, though... he may not personally be there, but the manpower that he can create with those machines down there may prove overwhelming. Take all the back-up you can get without making a big noise about it."

"I understand," said the blond. "Uh... good luck."

"Luck. Right," said the clone bitterly. "Like I'll need it in the afterlife. The only consolation I need from you is the death of my creator."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that bastard pays his dues."

"You do that, kid," said the former clone as he walked away. "You do that."

They watched him go. Both Naruto and Hinata stood in silence another moment, contemplating the sad nature and horrible destiny he'd been born into. All a product of Sasuke's darkness, the child of Orochimaru's evil.

"He'll get what's coming to him," Naruto swore, "That's a promise..."

Hinata looked at him, a question in her eyes. "Naruto-kun..."

"You know, Hinata," Naruto said, "You're really a great person. It would be really sad if you got hurt following me into this."

_He's going to turn my offer down,_ she thought. Balling up her hands into pained fists, she prepared speak her grudging acceptance of his decision.

"But then," Naruto continued, a smile crossing his once-dark face, "He did say to bring all the back-up I can get without making a big noise... and I think I can trust you to keep this pretty quiet, ne, Hinata?"

Hinata looked into his eyes, not quite believing. Was he going to...?

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata," he said, "If I'm going down into a rat's nest like the snake-bastard's old labs, I'll need good eyes to watch my back. So you're going to have to come with me after all."

The pale-eyed young woman in front of him lit up like a lightbulb after a blackout. The extraordinary happy look on her face spread to his. _Ironic, _he thought. _Normally I'm supposed to have the contagious energy..._

"Naruto-kun, thank you!"

"Hehe, that's better," Naruto said. "I think I always liked you better smiling. I'm glad I'm letting you help... you would have been unhappy then, and unhappy people don't smile so well."

He started down the street, heading towards Sakura's home. "Come to the gates of the village around nine tomorrow morning. I'll drag Kakashi-sensei there by his mask, if I have to, as long as he's on time."

"I will, Naruto-kun. I promise." Hinata's face practically glowed. After all the great things that had happened today, now she would finally be of some real use to the young man that she admired.

Naruto waved, shouted, "Ja ne!" and ran off into the orange of the setting sun.

Hinata's gaze rested on his retreating back for a moment, and then she, too, moved along.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Emerging from the base of the tower, Haruka checked her map and began heading for her new lodgings. According to the human resources department, it was one of the first buildings that had been completed in the new housing district being constructed near the outer edge of the village. Haruka noted glumly that it was placed far from and on the opposite side of the village from the Hyuuga compound. While this served her well for safety purposes, it did not good to her spirit to be forced out of her ancestral home.

Sighing, she put those thoughts out of her mind. Now was not the time to be moping about; now that she had Keisuke's support, it would be only a matter of time before that terrible system was out of place. Then, the Branch would have no more reason to begrudge anyone, and in their newfound freedom, they would not notice or care if she walked in and took an empty room.

This optimism carried her down the street with her head held high. She kept alert for Branch Hyuuga light-heartedly as she strode toward her temporary home away from home.

However, her trip was put on hold when she saw the young girl, the heiress to her Clan, moving along towards her from the opposite end of the street that she was currently on. _Matches the description perfectly, _Haruka thought. _No doubt about it, that's the one. So _this _is_ _what she looks like all grown up. If Naruto-kun doesn't keel over in homage just looking at her, there's something wrong with the boy._

Hinata was an important piece in the game that Keisuke was playing against the Hyuuga system. Haruka stepped in front of the girl, bowing low. "I am sorry that I have never done you proper honor before," she said, "Hinata-sama."

The younger Hyuuga looked her over. She registered the braided black hair, the tall, slender figure, the glint in her white eye that suggested that she might be serious, or she might not. In a moment, Hinata recognized her for the person that Naruto had told her about—the one that had traveled with him and Keisuke and Jiraiya for two years.

"You are... Haruka-san, aren't you?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, so Naruto-kun has told you about me after all, hmm?" Said Haruka, rising from her bow and standing in a relaxed poise before her.

"Hai, he did... are you enjoying being back home?"

Hinata caught the brief flicker of pain in Haruka's face. Clearly, Haruka was _not_ enjoying herself in Konoha. Soon enough, however, a cheerful look came back onto her mien, covering up whatever displeasure she had been thinking of.

"It's not so bad," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Although, Keisuke certainly seems to be having fun... have to remember to show him up later... Ah, but that's another story. It isn't every day that you meet your future Clan Head for the first time."

"No," Hinata said, "I don't suppose it is." A slight smile spread onto her lips. This woman had the graces and the ability of the Hyuuga, yet she possessed the easygoing, self-reliant attitude that was characteristic to Naruto—minus the tendency to be obnoxiously loud, of course. Hinata was beginning to like her.

"So, I've heard that you only recently were named the official successor," Haruka said. "Am I correct, Hinata-sama?"

"Hai, that is true," Hinata responded. "Father announced it before the Konoha elder Council members last month."

"Congratulations!" Haruka exclaimed, clapping the girl on the shoulder. "I had thought that you would. There is no way that Keisuke and Naruto-kun would flap their mouths about it endlessly just so that we could come home and find out that you'd failed."

Hinata flushed slightly upon hearing that Naruto had talked of her so proudly. "Ah... thank you, Haruka-san."

"Now now, we can drop the '-san' right there," Haruka said. "Naruto-kun and I are great friends, and any friend of his is easily a friend of myself."

"I see. I understand, Haruka."

"That works," said the older Hyuuga, grinning pleasantly. "Now then, about this rumor I've heard..."

Hinata tensed. If this was the rumor that she was thinking of, and if she knew the evil look in Haruka's eye correctly, then this might not end well.

"Is it the truth that you have slept with Uzumaki Naruto-kun?"

The crash of Hinata's skull on the pavement was audible throughout a half-mile radius. Several people poked their heads out of their windows to get a better look. When they saw who it was, they shrugged and returned to their business, having seen this several times previously. "Looks like someone's been making up yet more ridiculous Naruto scuttlebutt," they said to themselves.

Haruka regarded her with amazement. _Naruto is right... she really _is _weird around him._ "Judging from the thoroughly shocked nature of your reaction that the rumor is _not_ true," she said.

"O-of course it isn't Haruka!" Hinata said, very flustered.

"Nonetheless," Haruka said, "I have information from numerous sources—Keisuke, Sakura-san, and Ichiraku Teuchi to name a few—that you wouldn't mind if someday it _was_ true. No, I'm not finished yet, Hinata-sama." She held up her hand to silence the stuttering reply that Hinata had begun.

"As a member of the Branch House, it is my responsibility to look out for your best interest. I can tell you truthfully that Naruto-kun holds you in very high regard, and considering all that he has told me of your past exploits, he does so for good reason. He respects you for the effort you put in to better yourself. That's one advantage you have."

A contented grin found its way to Hinata's face as she remembered the afternoon's events. She certainly could not deny this point.

"You are one stunningly pretty girl. I have heard men and women alike of all ages in this village speak of it, and I see now that their admiration is well-placed. That is your second advantage."

This also Hinata could not deny. The number of cheerful compliments, jealous glances, and unqualified suitors that she had received spoke for itself.

Haruka moved closer to her, put both hands on her shoulders, and lowered herself to eye-level with the younger girl. "If you act now, Hinata, you can have him without a fight. You are already in his good favor; all you need to do is push a little, and he will fall right into your arms! He has lost interest in Sakura-san over his absence... nobody can oppose you.

"Ah, but... Haruka... I..." Hinata was having difficulty speaking. How did a simple first meeting between clanswomen turn into this? No one, not even Sakura, had spoken so urgently to her about Naruto. Yet she also knew, deep within herself, that nobody had ever spoken so truthfully.

"I have spoken to both Keisuke and Sakura-san, and they both agree that there is no better time than now," Haruka finished. "I understand that for a shy person like you it might be difficult. But then, you've been able to overcome all your other obstacles so far. This is just one more hurdle to clear."

The older Hyuuga's words rang in Hinata's mind like a bell of hope. She could imagine triumph, victory, and the spoils that would be hers, if only she would just reach out and take them. Yet the old fear in the back of her mind fought that hope, lashed savagely at it. It was the fear of rejection, and it was a force that would not be denied. Hope had dawned too slowly this time... it could not get up enough momentum to drive it back.

Hinata's voice was steady and quiet. "I understand that you are trying to help me," she said, "and I appreciate it. You are a good person, Haruka, but..."

"But you still do not think you're ready."

"H-hai."

Haruka sighed. The girl's shy aspect and fear of rejection were tough brick walls. Her words were as strong as the stream of a pressure washer, capable of flaying skin from bone. However, though she'd gotten through Hinata's skin, she would need a bulldozer before she could clear those brick walls.

"If you're not ready soon," she said, "Then someone else will begin to see him in the same light that you do, and then you will begin to lose hope... if that happens, you will never be ready."

She shook her head in part-faked, part-real disappointment. "A shame. I'd hoped that the clan would come out of this with two strong leaders rather than just one. But that isn't my place to decide, is it? Oh well."

She acted as though she was about to leave, then faked remembering something. "Oh, Hinata-sama," she said. "If you're going to pass up the chance, I suppose I can at least offer you some consolation..." She threw an envelope to Hinata, whose hand caught it by reflex. She saw the younger girl look down at it cautiously; it seemed that she somehow already knew what was in there and was afraid to look.

Smiling, Haruka turned to leave once more... and found herself face-to-face with Keisuke, who was being guided by another young Hyuuga. The former smiled happily, apparently pleased with himself about something, while the latter tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. Haruka wondered what Keisuke was doing, letting himself be led around by this other Hyuuga. She flicked on her Byakugan, trying to find out what was going on with him.

The young man said, "Keisuke-san, Hinata-sama and another Hyuuga are here."

"Keisuke!" Haruka gasped, "Your Reiude is gone! How..."

"I suppose I was too strong for my own good," Keisuke said, grinning maniacally. "I'll be a registered Jounin-level shinobi by tomorrow. Just have to drop by the tower one last time in the morning. My Reiude will have come back by then; there won't be any need to escort me."

"But you're blind now, hmm?" Haruka said. "You idiot. You burned up all your Arms in one fight?"

"No, not fighting," Keisuke said. "I kept them during the skirmishes. I lost them performing... a final evasive maneuver."

"Tch," Haruka mock-scoffed, smiling haughtily at him. "So you spent them _running away?_ Lazy coward!"

"Hey!" Keisuke challenged. "It was not cowardice; I was completing my mission objective!"

"Pah! I heard that your objective was to take some poor man through a pack of Chuunin to a clearly labeled exit! You can't have needed that much power to get through that!"

"For your information," Keisuke growled, "It was _not _only a pack of Chuunin. Neji-san—who is a skilled Jounin and probably the best Hyuuga fighter I have ever met—and a swarm of Eye-Gouging Gnats were involved."

Haruka, no longer faking annoyance, glared at him. _The best Hyuuga fighter I have ever met... Neji-san! _ That was a direct insult aimed at her, and both knew it. Her white eyes crackled dangerously, a sight that would have frightened away lesser men.

"Eye-Gouging Gnats, hmm?"

Keisuke's empty eye sockets glared right back at her. Unable to see Haruka's crackling eyes, he was unafraid. "Yes."

Neji and Hinata watched them nervously. Both could tell that if nobody intervened, things might not be pretty. Neji knew that Keisuke was in bad condition... To face such wrath now would not be good for him. Yet he could think of nothing to say that would stop them outright, so he thought it best that he and Hinata retreat for the moment. Clearing his throat loudly in the hope of distracting them, he turned to Hinata.

"Well, then, Hinata-sama," he said, "I think we should be going now. We can leave Haruka-san to guide Keisuke-san home. I will escort you back to the Hyuuga compound."

Hinata, also sensing that withdrawal was best, agreed. "Hai, I think that is a good idea, Neji-nii-san. Haruka-san, Keisuke-san, good night."

Keisuke and Haruka had turned their heads to them.

"Good night, Hinata-san. Neji-san... an excellent match today. Thank you." Keisuke said. He saluted Neji, who nodded in response.

Haruka came forward and took Hinata's hand. "Good night, Hinata-chan. It was good to finally see you in person." Then she leaned forward and whispered, "Tell your father, at least, if you can't tell _him_. He'll need to know eventually, too."

Having exchanged all their good-byes, the two pairs parted ways, with Neji and Hinata moving back to the Hyuuga compound. Keisuke and Haruka were left to themselves.

"I am _not_ going to waste my time leading you home, blind idiot," Haruka said.

"Huh. I wasn't going to suggest that you do. I don't need your help, anyway." This was mostly true; He was learning again to navigate as he used to, before he had obtained the Reiude. He had accepted Neji's guidance as courtesy. He could stumble home by himself.

They stood apart and glared at each other a moment longer, then they relaxed, exasperated. Both were tired, and there were other things to speak of. Keisuke started off.

"I see you've been working on Hinata-chan already... any luck?"

Haruka sighed heavily. "Not that I can see. She knows that what I say is right, but she lacks the will to follow through."

Keisuke nodded. "As I expected. Don't worry about it. You are an older, more experienced woman, and a fellow Hyuuga to boot; your words will have an impact in good time. And Neji-san is with us now, too. He will help where he can."

Haruka stared hollowly at him. There was doubt in her voice. "You really think this will work?"

"Yeah, I really do," Keisuke said. "Fear of rejection is a powerful barrier, but it's been beaten before. Hinata is more than strong enough to beat it herself. She just needs to realize that strength, as she did when she first endeavored to change herself. I have as much faith in her as I do in Naruto... after all, they share the same nindo."

Haruka felt a little more at ease now. She knew that Keisuke was right, and had all along. It was just the despair from earlier trying to drown her—the dark water fell all around her, on top of her, splashed her body, soaked her to the bone, but she did not have to drink it.

"All right, partner. I'll have a little more faith," she said. Her smile, though not seen by his sightless gaze, was picked up on nonetheless in her tone. Keisuke got the message.

Keisuke started toward her, his own smile visible. "Haruka..."

She turned and started walking away. "You're still finding your own way home, though, blind idiot."

Keisuke stumbled and nearly fell. _Damn that woman. I'm at least three centuries old, thanks to being encased in that block of ice... she ought to respect her elders!_

He sighed and began trudging back to his own house. He thought of his ambitions, old and new, his new existence in this village, and how the tapestry was all woven together. When he reached his gate, he thought, _Hiashi... Neji tells me you've softened up. I'd like to believe it's true, since you've finally embraced your daughter... but you still haven't done away with that barbaric system. You could have saved me a lot of trouble by killing both birds with the same stone..._

Keisuke left his gate locked and continued down the now-empty street. It seemed that he still had one more visit to pay before this long day ended.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Eleven oOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	14. C12: Loathing, Part Two

**A/N: **I should be sleeping right now, but I thought of all the characters just howling to be expressed, and of my readers sitting there with nothing new to look at, and I dreamed of making 20,000 hits and 100 reviews... At that point I knew, I had to stay awake another hour and finish this chapter. Lucky you, I've given up 2 of my 6 hours of available sleep time all for your enjoyment.

Okay... Let's see if we get to the chaos this time around.

I'd like to acknowledge Silver Warrior and Clone Daniel as valued critics of mine. Though they started reviewing only a few chapters ago, their opinions are well-voiced, and they seem to be following closely on my heels in my recent submissions.

**Chapter Twelve: Loathing, Part Two**

The second garden of the Hyuuga compound, bathed in evening twilight, was tranquil, secure, and beautiful. The small waterwheel turned and turned again, generating its repetitive wooden clunk accompanied by the low, continuous splash of water. Put together with the symphonic ringing of the wind chimes in the summer breeze, the ambiance was very calming. Orange light from the setting sun illuminated the clouds on the horizon, reflecting off of the greenery and completing the peaceful serenity of the place.

Nearer to the village, however, hovering over the shops and the houses and the government buildings remained the ominous black clouds that had been there since the day had dawned. They still had not released a single drop of precipitation. It seemed as though they might be waiting for some unheard signal from a distant god or demon, whose plans of mayhem—or divine justice, depending on the nature of the deity—did not yet call for the storm to strike. These dark were, with one other exception, the only thing that disturbed the peace of the evening.

The other exception sat contemplatively on at one end of the garden, from which one could look upon the whole of the tranquil scene with a solid, protective wall of hedge behind him, shielding him from the world, locking him in the moment. But he did not look over the garden; he looked within himself. Though the hedges could keep him safe from the cares of the outside world, there was no escape from the baggage that rode on his person, fixed firmly in his mind.

He thought of his old friend's return, about how her fellows had been so volatile to her, and what this all symbolized. Was it an omen, a reflection of bigger, more terrible events yet to transpire? Would there be retribution upon Haruka for her father's mistake, or could it be revenge against the Branch for their mistreatment of Haruka?

"Haruka," he said softly, "You had nothing to do with your father's cowardly retreat or the slaughter that followed. But I can do nothing to stopper the anger of the Branch. They..."

"Are beyond your control?" suggested a voice above and behind him. "Too steeped in their fury to be held in thrall by a command? Could it be, Hyuuga Hiashi, that you are not as much the head of your clan as you once believed you were?"

Hiashi did not need to look to know who the speaker was. "So," he said calmly, "You've returned with her, have you? Then the rumors were truth."

Keisuke climbed down the hedge, being careful not to lose his hold and crash into some unseen piece of garden art on the ground below. When he had touched down, he ambled around clumsily, looking for something to rest upon. Finding a rock by the pond near Hiashi, he plopped down upon it with a relieved sigh. Hiashi noted that the blind man was moving rather less easily than the last time they had met, but chose not to make a comment.

Keisuke, firmly situated, answered, "Rumors? If you'd known I was on my way, Hiashi, then I would have expected you to do something about it. Especially after the flashy pursuit force you sent last time..."

"I prefer not to act on unconfirmed rumors," Hiashi said, still not looking at him. This was honest truth; if he had believed half of the rumors that he had heard, then he would have been forced to disown Hinata several times over by now.

Keisuke shrugged. "Will you do anything now? It's the perfect chance; I am even more blind than normal and without my primary defense."

Hiashi considered for a moment, then said, "No. Not until I can guess your real motives. I had thought that you sought our destruction before, yet you fled and did not return... until now."

The Hyuuga head turned to face his visitor. "This time you come alone, and in weakness...yet your clumsy movements mask a sense of confidence that you did not have when you met me the first time. Perhaps you had no ill intentions before, but your aura... You are plotting something..."

He paused as Keisuke gave him a toothy smile, and Hiashi thought he caught a low chuckle.

He came to another realization. "You come to me unconcerned in your weakened state because you believe that you have already won."

The smile on Keisuke's mouth was bordering on satanic as Hiashi said this. "Not quite," said the blind man. "But you're right... I am _very _confident. It's already begun..."

"What has?" Hiashi demanded, rising to his feet.

"When Haruka joined us," Keisuke said, seeming to ignore Hiashi's question, "She explained that you had thought me some imitation, a hooligan masquerading as your ancient ancestor, Keisuke of the Grave, trying to provoke superstition. When she found us and wrote you about the Rokujuuyon Reiude, your theory became far more advanced."

Hiashi stared in surprise. "So, Haruka was in league with you, after all."

"Yes," Keisuke replied. "She has explained that you feared me, not for the Reiude itself—although it _is _a potent counter to the tenketsu manipulation that your clan employs—but because the last person who possessed that ability tried to, and nearly did, incite a revolution within your ranks. You know the man of which I speak... he would have married your elder sister, if she had not been butchered by the Rotting Blood."

Hiashi stood stock-still, old memory flashing in his eyes. Keisuke was correct... the man who had walked, tortured and ragged and bleeding, into Konoha with Hiashi's older sister in his arms had possessed the Rokujuuyon Reiude, though at that point he had barely discovered the most basic of its uses. And he _had_ been about to marry Hiashi's sister, against the wishes of all the elders and leaders in the clan, who had tried endless measures to stop him. Had she lived, the man would have been in a position to influence the clan...

Hiashi didn't want to remember. The sad day fixed itself firmly in his mind, however, and he grew pale, his silver-white eyes reflecting inner turmoil. And still Keisuke spoke...

"You believed that I was the offspring of this man, come in the semblance of your long-dead ancestor to finish the work that his father began... thus undoing the work that Keisuke's runaway son—your Clan's founder—completed. It was a good theory, I will admit."

Hiashi found his voice, sped forward, and grabbed the blind man by the shirt, lifted him up off the rock. "So, you are _his_ unacknowledged son... and you plan to use Haruka to..."

He stopped, suddenly finding himself the subject of a blind gaze that he would have expected after kicking Keisuke's dog. "I would sooner become your willing slave than become one with that woman... besides, Haruka is no safer here than I am, so I wouldn't have any influence from that. As to being the son of your late sister's fiancée..."

The gaze turned into one of regret. "There have been many times when I've wished it were, but my father was not Uzumaki . Unlikely as it seems, I am the true Keisuke of the Grave."

"You lie," Hiashi said, the turmoil cresting within. "The father of the first Hyuuga is a frozen corpse, entombed in the farthest corner of the world. I know... My brother, Hizashi, found the sealed tomb, and we ourselves removed it from beneath this estate and brought it there!"

Keisuke chuckled, despite being manhandled by his distant descendant. "So even then, when I was still a human Popsicle, you feared me... You say that it is not possible for me to be alive, yet you removed me from here because you thought that it just might be true!"

Hiashi shook his head. This man was infuriating him. He'd have to deal with him before he lost control and did something drastic...

"But you don't have to fear me any more, Hiashi. There's no way that I, skilled as I am with the Reiude, can change your barbaric Clan system by myself. I am not an Uzumaki, who carries both the power and the opportunity to get inside your house and alter it from within. That honor has been granted to another... and I, as well as Haruka, will see that he gives you another reason to be afraid. And it seems as though your out-of-control Branch house might help us, too."

Hiashi was about to deliver his Jyuuken to the man's heart, when Keisuke puffed into smoke in his hands. _Deceived, _he thought. He did not return to his rock, but stood at that spot for several minutes, contemplating what it was that he had just heard.

_Is it truly possible?_ He asked no one. _Even though Hizashi and I moved his tomb where nobody should have been able to follow... Has Haka no Keisuke really returned? Is Haruka, in fact, his ally against the clan? _

"Hiashi-sama," came the call of an attendant, "A message from your friend, Haruka..."

Hiashi accepted the letter from him and tore it open immediately.

_**Hiashi,**_

_**I am sorry. I know that you would have helped me if you could have. But the Branch members have shown that they will not relent, thus explaining why you cannot help... and also why I must side with Keisuke and with Naruto. **_

_**Knowing my father's mistake, and how—through the House system—it cost our Clan dearly, I cannot rest until I have redeemed him... and through redeeming him, redeemed myself. I want to tear down the walls and heal the rift between the two Houses, in the hope that my father's guilt will be forgotten amid my success and the new Hyuuga unity. I want to live peacefully amidst my Clansfolk again, and I know that Keisuke's plan can make it happen.**_

_**This is not merely a notice of my defection... it is also a plea for your understanding and, hopefully, your help. I know that you take your responsibility to protect the Hyuuga secrets seriously. I know that there is much pressure upon you from the elder Hyuuga already because of the acceptance of a "weak girl" as your heir, and that to push your luck by helping us will risk all that you have obtained in your leadership... But is it worth putting a curse upon our own brethren, forcing them to take hits for our leaders? Is it worth having more than half of us live in fear, afraid to speak against the system for fear of instant death through the seals on their foreheads, afraid of being chosen as a martyr for the Byakugan? Is it worth making people like myself and Neji doubt the worth of our own fathers?**_

_**Keisuke will force you to take a side soon. I ask you to consider before you take the wrong one. **_

Hiashi crumpled the letter and thrust it roughly back into the attendant's hands. "I apologize, Haruka," he said. "I chose my side when I accepted the leadership of this Clan."

Then he looked toward the pond, searching within the waters and the waning sunlight reflected upon it for some glimpse of the future, of what was to become of the fragile stability that the Hyuuga painstakingly maintained.

_Hinata..._ he thought. _They plan to use her against me, against the Clan system. And they will use Uzumaki Naruto to do it. That demon child... so at least some of the rumors I have heard about them are true..._

He grimaced, thinking of what might result from the chaos ahead. He had only recently accepted Hinata as his daughter; he did not want to lose her so soon afterward, especially not to the unstable container of Kyuubi. A jinchuuriki under the manipulative guidance of the Great Father of the first Hyuuga...

_No,_ he reassured himself, _it cannot be possible. The Great Father is most assuredly dead, and Hinata knows better than to court a young man without my permission. Haruka must have been brainwashed, hypnotized, or coerced in some way... I will find out what it is._

For the first time since they had settled over the village, lightning thundered within the black clouds above.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Na-Naruto-kun!"

Hinata's breath caught in her chest, and the heat rose unbidden to her head. Fortunately, her door was closed and locked; it would not do to have anybody walk into her chamber and see the suspicious red face or the photo that had caused it.

The photo in question—along with the several others that had been in the envelope—now lay before her on her bed, illuminated by the soft lamplight. It depicted Naruto in all his shinobi glory... and in very little else. Most of the others were similar images, though taken in different places.

Naruto with his shirt torn to shreds, unleashing the Rasengan upon an off-guard foe in an arena challenge... Naruto in a contest of strength, heaving a heavy barrel on his back and running to the finish line dressed only in boxer shorts decorated with blue sky and orange suns... Naruto meditating with Keisuke in a waterfall, covering himself with only his nine shining chakra "tails..." Naruto passed out in a dumpster, naked, with a ramen bowl over his delicates.

Where this last one had come from, Hinata didn't think she wanted to ask, but other than that, the pictures were masterfully and tastefully taken. Haruka's words came back to her...

"_If you're going to pass up the chance, I suppose I can at least offer you some consolation..."_

As if this would help anyone forget a crush! These pictures were like an advertisement! Holding in her trembling hand the well-defined abdomen, the hard and muscular thighs, the compact yet powerful biceps, and the tanned skin bearing the occasional battle-scar, which was worn proudly like a badge of honor, Hinata knew she was going to be having very wild dreams tonight... wild and explicit.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hyuuga Hanabi's thoughts and feelings about her older sister had never been stable. Rather, they were dynamic, changing with time as Hinata did. When Hanabi first learned to think as a sentient human being, she looked up to Hinata, who was a kind and soft-spoken, likable person. In those early days, the two sisters had shared a powerful, loving family bond. When their father began to express his disappointment at his older daughter's "weakness" and begun focusing more on Hanabi's training, the youngest Hyuuga had watched her sister retreat into her own sad world, and had mixed feelings. Part of her pitied her beloved older sibling, wanted to reach out to her, help her out of the darkness. The other part of her felt elated at her superior ability, at how _she_ was the one that father always paid attention to now. It was this latter part that took precedence in this era, as Hiashi had awarded her little time away from her training; he seemed to be trying to correct his mistakes with his new apprentice.

Now that Hinata was in the spotlight again, and steadily improving on her way to the seat of power, Hanabi felt pressure to keep up. But also, she had noticed the change in her sister's attitude, the new positive, progressive drive that she had obtained. This drive brought Hinata into the height of her ability... and made Hanabi both jealous of and happy for her. They still rarely spoke to each other—both of them had extremely tight training schedules and missions still—and addressed each other stiffly and formally when they did meet, but no longer did Hinata cringe in fear and sadness in her presence, nor did Hanabi draw herself up haughtily and look upon her with pity when she passed. In short, their relationship was one of neutrality and understanding, thought with little actual contact.

But each one cared enough for the other to know when something was amiss. Thus Hanabi, as generally the earliest riser in the house, knew that not all was in line when she heard Hinata hurriedly packing her gear within her room. Normally, her elder sister would have just finished her morning exercises with their cousin, Neji, and gone to breakfast. Yet today she had not.

_Probably a mission,_ Hanabi thought. Something, however, did not seem to be right, and Hanabi just couldn't put a finger on what it was. She pondered a moment, then decided that it had been a while since they had spoken anyway, and opened the door.

Hanabi noticed with interest that Hinata, surprised at her unannounced entrance, looked around like a frightened deer and hurriedly closed her bedside drawer. Then, seeing that it was only her sister, she relaxed and turned to greet her.

"Ohayo Gozimasu, Hanabi-nee-san."

"Ohayo, Oneesan," returned Hanabi. "You'll be leaving on a mission today?"

"Ah... no. Not exactly. It is more like a... a favor that I am doing, for a very good friend," Hinata said.

Hanabi considered, then decided it was believable. Hinata was popular these days, and had many friends in the village, not all of whom were shinobi, and Hinata was the type of kind person who would lend a hand to less able villagers if she was asked. Hanabi herself had never seen Hinata gear herself up for such a favor, but then Hanabi rarely saw her in any circumstance, so perhaps this was a more regular occurrence than she surmised. Hanabi warmed inwardly; she always had admired her sister's capacity for kindness, which had persisted even in the days when Hinata was in more need of help than any of the people she gave it to.

"I see," she said, then turned away. "Well, I don't want to be in your way, Oneesan, and I have my own schedule to follow... so, I will take my leave."

Hinata raised herself up, secured her pack to her shoulders, and moved for the door herself. She smiled cheerily at Hanabi, bid her good day and good luck, and left. Hanabi began moving off to the yard for her first solitary practice session.

Then she had a thought: _What was Oneesan hiding in that drawer? If it was something to do with this "favor," wouldn't she have taken it with her? _Curious, Hanabi retraced her steps and re-entered her older sister's room, crossed the floor to the other side of her bed, and opened the drawer. Squinting to see the contents in the dim light, she turned on the bedside lamp...

And almost had her jaw hit the floor. She lifted the photographs from the drawer and flipped through them, astonished. Looking at each one, her face steadily became more colorful. _Oneesan! She was keeping this from us for _how _long! _She stood in place for a long time, looking at the pictures over and over, cogs spinning rapidly in her brain, trying to understand.

"Oneesan..." she breathed. Then the cogs hit a snag and she wondered aloud, "Does Father know?"

A deep voice behind her asked, "Do I know what, Hanabi?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"YOU'RE LAAAATE!"

"Yeah, well... I had to spend the morning convincing Gai that he was a shinobi again," explained Kakashi. It wasn't far from the truth; Gai had, apparently, taken quite a liking to his "dynamic" alter ego—the civilian who had been rescued by Keisuke—and Kakashi had spent his morning trying to evade him so that he could go and buy Jiraiya's latest novel in peace before coming to the meeting spot.

"Liar!" yelled Sakura.

"What a load of crap!" Naruto exclaimed. "Just because Ero-Sennin has time to write again doesn't mean you have an excuse make us wait two hours! What if Sas... that bastard's already packed up and left? What would you say then, huh?"

Kakashi looked upon his two former students with a great smile on his masked face. It was the closest they had been to the good old days in almost three years; Naruto and Sakura berating him for tardiness, united in the first show of teamwork in old team seven in ages, and the third member of the group regarding the exchange silently, without getting involved. Granted, Hinata didn't perfectly fill the role of the quiet, brooding, superiority-complexing Uchiha, but she was most definitely better than nothing... and both Naruto and Sakura got along very well with her, which would certainly not be bad for their teamwork in this unofficial mission.

"Now remember, we don't even know if he's there, or even if he ever was... so said your tragic double," reminded the Jounin. "All we are doing is going in, finding out what we can, and getting out... we want to avoid combat if at all possible. I have a map of the facility from ANBU records; this should be a quick and clean operation, if we don't run into any snags."

"Hmph," grunted Naruto, folding his arms and looking sternly at him. "Still not an excuse for wasting our time."

Kakashi, too happy to have his team back to be exasperated, motioned for them to follow him, then took off running into the forest.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"It's dark," said Sakura, stepping down into the dank corridor from the hidden entrance. "Should we light our gas torches?"

"Sakura, that might be risky if anyone's home," said Naruto. "If he is here, I don't want the bastard to know we're coming until we're on top of him, ready to bash his face in."

"That's probably right," she replied, impressed that Naruto was actually considering stealth as his first option rather than opting to charge in with all guns blazing, then hiding only when at a clear disadvantage. "But even with the map, it will be difficult to find anything if we can't see."

"Ano... I might be able to help," said Hinata. Practice had improved her mastery of the Byakugan to the point where she could see fairly well even in the very faintest of light. Except in a sealed room with no light at all, Hinata was never blinded. The light from the entrance would be sufficient for a long ways into the dungeon. She focused her chakra and snapped on her doujutsu. "**Byakugan.**"

"Oh, you can see even when it's this dark, Hinata?" said Naruto. "Amazing!" Luckily, it was too dark for Naruto to see, or he might have worried that she was growing ill because of her near-luminous red face.

"Ah, I see," said Sakura, "So you can help Kakashi-sensei navigate this place for us, huh, Hinata-chan?"

"A good thing, since it would be bad for me to try to use my Sharingan and waste my chakra," remarked Kakashi. "Well, you lead the way then, Hinata."

"Hai, I will." Pleased to be of such help to her two friends, Hinata took the map and began leading them on, silently as possible, to the heart of the once-abandoned lair. All of the members of the team moved without sound and, knowing the great importance of the mission, with a great tensity.

Their old comrade grew closer with each step they took.

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"It's empty," Hinata said, breaking the long silence. They had reached the door to the main laboratory, and Hinata had peered as far through it as she could, checking for any sign of activity.

"Stay frosty," said Kakashi. "It may not be entirely abandoned, and if it is, it may still be trapped."

"I got it, Sensei," said Naruto. He pushed on the heavy door, but it did not budge. He tried again, harder, still to no avail. He cocked his ear in Kakashi's direction. "Should I?"

Kakashi pondered, then asked, "Hinata, you're sure there's nothing alive in there?"

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

He sighed. This would give away their cover, but they wouldn't learn anything otherwise. "Do it, Naruto."

The swirling ball of chakra took form in Naruto's hand, filling the stone hallway with its flickering blue light. With a hard forward thrust, the blond brought its force to bear on the heavy door.

"**Rasengan!**"

Sakura, Kakashi, and Hinata took cover behind Naruto as the door was ground to pieces, sending stone chips flying everywhere. When the dust cleared, all was as quiet; no alarms sounded, no warning lights blared, no punji trap dropped from the ceiling to skewer them, and nothing exploded. It was as silent as a tomb.

"Well," Kakashi said, "If there is anyone here, they'll know about us by now."

Sakura lit a torch. "Well if that's the case, then we ought to look around quickly, before they get here."

Hinata and Kakashi also lit their gas torches, and Naruto called forth his Nine Tails of Light, illuminating the chamber in soft blue. As he strode into the room, he put them before himself, waving them through the air, along the ground, the ceiling, and the walls, testing for traps everywhere he went. "Seems safe enough," he said. The others followed, and they began to take stock of their surroundings.

The room was fairly small, certainly not a place to breed hundreds of Naruto clones. On the main table, however, there was the corpse of a pale-skinned young man with dark hair—the spitting image of N-0234 as Naruto had last seen him. The body was strapped to the table and spread-eagled, an expression of agony on its face. Apparently, the clone had died in a final test of the product's durability.

On the walls, there were many charts, bearing statistics for this sample or that, measuring results for changes in one variable or another, a single chart for every week of experimentation. They went back at least for twelve weeks.

"So, Sasuke had been plotting his clone assault for at least three months before it actually hit," Kakashi mused. "I wonder what purpose it had..."

"Other than to cause chaos and confusion in the village?" Sakura asked. "I don't know. Maybe Orochimaru wanted to see how strong we truly are..."

"Or maybe," Hinata put in, "In the confusion, they were trying to complete some other objective?"

"That makes a little sense," said Naruto thoughtfully, "But I haven't gotten wind of anyone or anything important dead or missing... Oh! Maybe it was a diversion so that they could infiltrate our secret places, and just set up for their next move?"

Kakashi nodded. "A logical explanation, Naruto. There are many places in Konoha that one could hide, and not all of them are known to our people. Getting to some of these places—like clan compounds, concealed basements in shops, et cetera—while the shinobi patrols are unhindered might indeed be difficult for more than one person. Perhaps whatever scheme is in the making requires that multiple agents be in place in multiple positions..."

"Wow... you figured that out on your own, Naruto?" Sakura asked. The new Naruto was making a better and better impression on her.

"Hehe. I didn't hang around such smart people like Keisuke-nii-san and Haruka-nee-chan for two years without profit, you know." Naruto beamed at her. Then, for no conscious reason, he turned and beamed at Hinata.

"Ah," she said, seeing the almost-expectant look on his face, "Yes, it was very clever of you, Naruto-kun..." For some reason, Naruto felt very satisfied at that comment. He'd felt satisfied at having Sakura's acknowledgment, but this seemed to boost his ego even more.

"At any rate," Kakashi continued, "It doesn't look like Sasuke is here. Probably he or one of his officers used to be, coordinating the attack. But it seems abandoned now... they have no more use for the Naruto clones."

Naruto hung his head. "Damn it," he said. "I thought for sure we'd find some clue to where he's hiding..."

"Don't give up, Naruto," said Sakura, "There's got to be some evidence somewhere. We're just looking in the wrong place." Her face was set in grave determination. She had waited long enough, and this, at least, was some progress.

"That's right, Naruto-kun," said Hinata encouragingly, "I'm sure there are plenty of clues in the village, hiding under our noses. I... I can help you find them!"

Naruto's head perked back up, looking less pained. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Sakura. Thank you, Hinata."

"I'll stay here, do a little more sniffing around," Kakashi said. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" A pack of nin-dogs materialized in the dark room, and their noses twitched, already picking up the strange and unfamiliar scents in the air. "You guys head back up to the surface. There isn't much left you can do here."

Naruto's face betrayed one last pang of frustration, then settled into its usual confident, determined expression. "All right, Kakashi-sensei. Let us know if you find anything weird."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Outside the entrance to the facility, the three teenage shinobi discussed their next move.

"If you're right, Naruto, then he could be anywhere in the village right now," sighed Sakura. This meant a lot of searching to do, more searching than they could accomplish in a day without arousing suspicion.

"It's all right. We'll definitely find him. I can get Keisuke and Haruka to lend us their help, and maybe Ero-Sennin if he's still in town. Plus, we have Hinata's help; that'll speed up the searching a lot."

"Naruto-kun," said Hinata, proud that she could be so useful to them, "I'll do everything I can. My best effort!"

Naruto gave her his trademark fox-like grin, saying, "I know, Hinata. We all will, for that dumb bastard's sake."

"For now," Sakura suggested, "We should split up and look casually around different areas in the village. It would be too suspicious if we all walked around together with our eyes peeled wide."

"Yes," put in Hinata, "That is probably a good idea..." She stopped when she saw the gleam in Sakura's eye. She knew what was coming; she could recognize that sadistic look anywhere.

"Then, Hinata," said Sakura in a voice that was almost sickeningly sweet, "Why don't you take Naruto and go look in the center part of the village. You might meet up with Keisuke-san there, too, and give him the news."

Hinata reacted predictably. Light blushing, deer-in-the-headlights eyes, hesitation to respond... It was a hesitation that invited interruption.

"Unfortunately," said a voice from behind them, "Hinata-sama must decline, as she will be coming with us."

The voice belonged to a Hyuuga Branch member, one of three who had silently appeared at their backs. He regarded them with a straight face, critical silver eyes, and an authoritative posture. His voice had a commanding timbre, and the regal-looking robes that he wore enhanced the image of authority.

Naruto, having never been one to heed authority just because the possessor wore fancy clothes, replied in his standard manner: With a question. "Eh? Why not?"

The Branch House Captain shifted his gaze to the Kyuubi's jailer, and that gaze turned cold. He looked at Naruto with a glare that said, _Get out of the way, little fox devil._ Naruto recognized the look and glared back with eyes that read, _Make me, big talker. You don't scare me!_

The Captain answered in a tone equally calm as before, "Hinata-sama has urgent business to attend to at home. Hiashi-sama's orders."

Hinata stepped forward. "Thank you, Captain Hiroto. Please tell my father that I will return shortly."

"I'm afraid, Hinata-sama, that is not possible," replied the Captain sternly. "Hiashi-sama sent us with orders to return with you at once, and to accept no other response than total cooperation."

"Oh," Hinata said simply. Then she asked, "Why?"

"We will leave now, Hinata-sama," said Captain Hiroto, ignoring the question. He clasped Hinata's arm and lurched forward. Hinata gave a small yelp and struggled in his grip.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, causing him to turn to him again. "Is that any way to treat your future leader? I don't think so!"

Seeing the menacing glare in Hiroto's eyes, Sakura nudged her teammate. "Hey, Naruto, don't you think it would be safer not to bother with those Hyuuga? They look like they mean business..."

"So what?" Naruto retorted angrily, "They waltz in, all high-and-mighty, boss around their next ruler, and just yank her off like that without telling her why? Sorry, but that doesn't fly with me. They don't respect their own superiors, so why should I respect them?"

Hinata's face was pale with fear. They were Branch Housers, but Hiroto's team was the best among them; Hiashi's elite guard, each one the equal of any three Jounin-level ninja in the village. Only the ANBU were tougher, and Hiroto was on par with them.

"Naruto-kun," she said, "It's all right, really..."

"No, it's not! It's obvious you don't want to go with them, at least not without being told why! You have a right to know why you're being called off, and the right to get there on your own two feet rather than being dragged around like a rag doll!" Naruto spat on the ground, a show of open defiance against the Branch Captain.

A long, tense moment passed where the two stared each other down, Naruto's iron will clashing with the cold confidence and power of Hiroto. Finally, the Captain half-flung Hinata back toward her friends. "Are you satisfied now, young devil?"

"Hell no," said Naruto. "Now you need to apologize for mistreating your superior."

"She is not my commander yet, boy." Hiroto's gaze was cold steel piercing into Naruto's heart.

"Doesn't matter," replied Naruto, "Even if she isn't she's still human; nobody deserves to be handled like that."

Hinata flushed, both in admiration for the blond shinobi and out of fear for his life. Hiroto's patience only went so far, and she had seen him severely injure Jounin-level shinobi, nearly to the point of death, when he was angered.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Naruto..."

"Sakura, Hinata, you leave this jerk to me. Nobody's going to treat my friend like that and go unpunished. Not while I'm alive."

Hiroto stood silent for a few seconds, then motioned for his subordinates to back down. They did so, hesitantly. One of them looked at him nervously.

"Captain?"

"Stay back," he replied. "I don't need your corpse piled on top of the brat's here by accident." He slid easily into his Jyuuken stance, facing Naruto with hate in his eyes. "You will have your wish, boy. Defend yourself... if you can."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Twelve OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **All readers who have read through the whole story up to this point are asked to answer at least one of these questions:

1. Which character have you enjoyed reading the most in the story?

2. What drives you to keep reading the story?

3. Which aspect of the story most needs improvement?

4. Is there anything else you desperately need to know?

Answers are greatly appreciated and help the author.


	15. C13: Bloodlust

**A/N:** Record-breaking review count on chapter twelve! Better yet, the total review count is now over one hundred, and the total hits exceeds 21,000! Beautiful! Thank you much, guys.

Many of you have asked to see Sasuke soon... I promise you, he will appear in good time. I can't say when, exactly, as I am still refining the details of the plot surrounding the encounter, and the fight choreography is still in its infancy. The Naruto/Sasuke reunion is, in many fics, a huge and powerful chapter, the part that single-handedly makes a story worth reading. Granted, this is a NaruHina story, so there are other things that make it worth looking at, but this battle will still be incredibly important, and it isn't something that I want to whip up one night and call it good.

For now, enjoy Naruto's allies bashing on the old farts on the Hyuuga elder advisory council, and be content.

**Chapter Thirteen: Bloodlust**

Seated formally at their table in the plain, largely unfurnished room, the Hyuuga Clan's advisory council—primarily elders and including but not limited to former Clan Heads—met for the third time in that week. Though each one spoke with a calm, almost inflectionless tone, the tension within the room was readily palpable to anyone paying attention. Fortunately, they were the only ones within the room, and nobody else could feel their fear; it would not do to have people think that the higher-ups in Hyuuga politics were actually under such stress.

A bent stick of a man, barely five feet tall and so thin that he almost might have slipped in underneath the door, rose to his feet to address the small congregation.

"It has happened at last, my kinsmen," he wheezed. "Our revered lord, Hiashi-sama, begins to see the truth of his daughter's behavior."

A younger member of the elder council, whose hair had not entirely turned gray, snorted. "It is past time he did. For the last three years we have mongered these rumors over and over, and brought as much evidence to the table as we could garner. But the fool refused to believe. He wouldn't hear anything against his precious daughter until his other daughter—a much better candidate for leadership—shoved the truth under his nose!"

The sickly man narrowed his milky white eyes. "You would do well not to insult our master, young one. Disagree with his methods if you must—as even I am wont to do—but do not forget that he is still your ultimate commander. We cannot openly speak against him."

Grumbling, the younger elder sank back into his seat. The older councilor continued.

"Now that Hiashi-sama is in doubt, we should do all in our power to force the issue, make our revered lord certain that Hinata-sama is not fit to govern our Clan. We can no longer claim so on the basis of her weakness, for her weakness has vanished. Therefore, we will seek to prove that she cannot make proper judgments."

"Aye," said a large, barrel-chested, grizzled old Hyuuga near the end of the table, "Gallivanting around with a demon is surely unbecoming of a Hyuuga, especially a successor." Many heads nodded in agreement. "But what of the demon boy himself? If he has developed an attachment to Hinata-sama, and is being aided by Haruka as Hiashi-sama says, then he could still threaten..."

"Measures are being taken to remove Haruka from his aid as we speak," wheezed the first elder. "Her own kinsmen in the Branch House were more than willing to go and capture her for us. She is not well-known in the village; we will be able to hold her here, unquestioned, until the situation is controlled... and then we will remove her from the village to a place where she may do no harm forevermore."

"Even so," pressed the large elder, "The demon's mortal father, Uzumaki, nearly overcame us despite our efforts to stop him. The boy is not as mature or as experienced as he. He is still a demon, however, and even without Haruka's knowledge, he has allies. Suppose that his cohort, the one who styles himself after the Great Father..."

"Our revered lord is not entirely a fool, as I have said," interrupted the first. "The demon's 'cohort' is no more our ancestor than he is a threat to our system. Hiashi-sama knows as well as you or I that he is a self-deceiving lunatic attempting to avenge his father, Uzumaki, by destroying us while in the semblance of _our_ father. He is powerful, yes... but he cannot harm us, as even he acknowledges. He can trouble us only through his younger sibling—the demon child—and Hinata-sama. We will allow neither to believe that we will allow it."

A fourth elder spoke up from his seat across the table from the first. "If I may ask, my respected senior, how do you propose to stop him? We cannot simply purge the demon, for there are too many in the village—Hokage-sama among them—who would charge us as cold-blooded murderers even though we would be doing them a favor."

The first elder nodded, then replied, "_We_ do not need to kill him at all. Why should we, when there are plenty who may do it for us?"

An elder at the other end of the table whispered to his neighbor, "I doubt anybody told Hiroto that before he was sent..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

From the roof above the secret meeting of the Advisory Council, a young man with silver eyes, clad in traditional Hyuuga robes, deactivated his Byakugan. From what he had read on his senior's lips, things were about to become very rough for his new friends.

Silent and fleet-footed as a panther stalking prey, Hyuuga Neji leaped from the rooftop and hurried off to look for Haruka.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hyuuga Hiroto was a man who came easily to anger. Although he had been the Captain of the elite guard since Hiashi had taken power—it was common practice within the clan that the Clan Head and the Captain of the guard came to power and left it together—and although he was perfectly happy to carry out his duties, his life left something to be desired: family.

He was part of a large extended family within the Hyuuga, of course, but he had virtually nobody that he could have hailed as true brethren. His parents had died in the line of duty when he was three years old, and his cousin Hizashi—the only person he'd felt close to since the death of his parents, who had left him with no siblings—had been sacrificed for the sake of his brother years ago. The unjustified death of Hizashi had made him a bitter man as well as bloodthirsty, which did not endear him to women, so he had no wife and no children. He was unloved, and easily the most quick-tempered man among the Hyuuga. Luckily, he was also one of the most disciplined Hyuuga, for otherwise he might have lashed out dangerously in his anger and gotten himself in serious trouble.

He had been annoyed to be sent running off after Hiashi's daughter, a job that should have been easy for any Hyuuga with a brain: check all of her usual hangouts, check with the gate guard to see if she'd left the village walls, follow his directions, wait for Kakashi the Copy-Ninja to get out of the way in case force was necessary, then tell her she's been ordered to come with you. If she resists, just grab her.

The blond devil's challenge had brought forth his icy rage. He almost killed the young fool outright, without bothering to fight him, but his discipline denied him that pleasure. If the boy was simply too clumsy or stupid to guard himself properly, though... well, it wouldn't be his fault, now, would it? It had been the devil who'd picked the fight, not him.

The demon child attacked him head-on, predictable as clockwork. Hiroto's anger began to give way to sadistic enjoyment as he lazily slapped the punches away, slipped aside of the kicks. He toyed with the boy for several seconds, finally grabbing hold of his arm and stepping on his foot to prevent him from jumping away. He faked a yawn to spite the brat, then flicked his Byakugan on and jabbed his fingers at the boy's shoulder, meaning to cut chakra flow to his right arm. He wanted to defuse the kid slowly, playfully, and end it with his opponent twitching on the ground, unable to stop him from hauling Hinata-sama away.

Hiroto wasn't going to have that satisfaction, however. The rapid-fire blows struck the tenketsus dead-on, but Hiroto's Byakugan did not register an end to the chakra flow; it saw instead an outward projection of it, snaking out of the tenketsus he had just struck and out of all the tenketsus in the boy's body. They danced aimlessly in the air around the two of them, waiting for some silent instruction from the main body. Hiroto's anger returned, and his face screwed up in surprise and rage.

"Ha HA!" Naruto crowed, "Looks like I'm not the only one who didn't pay attention in history lessons. The Rokujuuyon Reiude blocks your chakra manipulation, dunce. Didn't you guys learn from the last person who used it?"

The provocation worked well enough. In fact, Hiroto hadn't been present when the last person was working his work; he'd been undergoing his inception into the elite guard, which involved highly intense training and little time for history lessons. The Branch Captain forgot entirely his intention to merely subdue the brat, and drew back his palm to deliver a killing Jyuuken strike.

The strike was stopped long before it could reach flesh. A thick appendage made entirely of chakra blocked its path. Hiroto was both shocked and outraged to see that it was made of intertwined strands of the extended chakra coils, and that there were eight more just like it attached in the same place at the base of Naruto's spinal column.

"Nine tails!" he shouted in fury. "You've even gone so far as to mimic your previous demonic form! I will purge you, devil boy!"

He rushed upon Naruto with both hands full of killing rage made chakra. The boy parried with his chakra Tails and counterattacked with his fists and feet. Hiroto used all of his power and experience in the Jyuuken style, turning every dodging motion into a strike, every parried blow into an evasion, and every near miss into more fuel for his fury.

From the sidelines, Hinata clasped her hands before her, squeezing them together in fright for Naruto. The blond shinobi fought hard and fought valiantly, fully using the advantages of his nine extra limbs. However, he was not a master as Hiroto was; the Hyuuga Captain was stronger, more agile, and more learned than he, and many strikes came close to hitting their mark. Hiroto was not holding back, she knew—a single hit would be fatal. She wanted desperately to go to him, throw herself into the conflict and halt it, but she saw Hiroto's Lieutenants hovering nearby, waiting to prevent her from moving. There was no way that she could go through them and reach Naruto in time.

"Naruto-kun," she breathed, becoming sick with dread. Already she could see that the blond was tiring, Hiroto's rapid and skilled attacks eating up his stamina. He would fail soon, and there was nothing that Hinata could do about it.

Beside her, Sakura was also looking extremely worried. She knew Naruto better than the Hyuuga girl, and knew what desperation could drive him to; Tsunade had told her all about the red chakra that was her old teammate's trump card. She feared for her friend's life, of course, and for Hinata's safety, but she also feared what Naruto's fight for survival and domination would bring forth from within him.

Naruto could feel his heart racing within him, ready to explode. His lungs burned with strain, trying desperately to supply his muscles with the oxygen they needed to keep up with Hiroto's assault. Every movement had to be forced through fatigue, every breath had to be drawn in spite of pain. And all this from exhaustion, versus an opponent who had nine fewer hands than he did.

_How the hell is he so good with just his taijutsu?_ Thought he thought. _I have to focus almost completely on parrying, and I'm lucky if I can get a punch off. There's no time to form any hand seals at all, and he follows me every time I try to jump away. How the heck can I beat this?_

Then Hinata's fears were played out. Hiroto smiled triumphantly, knocked aside a last pestering Tail, and rammed a full blast of murderous chakra straight into Naruto's heart. The container of Kyuubi was hurled off his feet and smashed his back into a tree, then slumped to the ground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

She couldn't say that she didn't expect to be ambushed by her own clansmen, but Haruka certainly didn't expect an organized attack of this magnitude. She was currently surrounded by no less than fifteen members of the Branch House. All of them fully geared, fully armed, and looking very, very happy to have caught her alone. Their headbands glinted in the flashing lightning above, flickering promises of doom...

Unless, of course, she cooperated, as promised the leader of the pack. Haruka noted that the middle-aged woman that had accosted her at the Hyuuga front gate was not among them. Whether she was too ill in her head or not gutsy enough to face Haruka herself, Haruka did not care. There were other enemies among her own kin, and these were them. She had to get herself out of this, somehow.

They stood just outside the village walls, barely out of earshot of the gate guards. It was a bold move they were making; not much closer to the gate and they would have drawn attention to themselves. Haruka supposed that she should have known better than to take a stroll so far out of the safe haven of the village streets, but she was one who needed a taste of wilderness every now and again, and she hadn't been able to stay inside long. She had thought it would be okay, since most Hyuuga would not have been able to guess her habits, she having been gone so long.

"So, Hiashi must have tipped you off," she said bitterly. Inwardly, she scorned herself for thinking that Hiashi would be merciful.

"No, not at all," said the leader. "Your friend, Hiashi, has nothing to do with this. It was the High Councilor that thought you might come out for a little air. He is old and very wise."

"He would have to be, wouldn't he?" said Haruka. "Since you have to be a pretty senile old fart to become High Councilor." Below her cold expression, Haruka's mind felt a little relieved. Hiashi might have read her letter and sent the whole clan out after her, but apparently he wasn't completely given over to cold, emotionless dictatorship. He had opted to simply ignore her. However, the Advisory Council was another matter entirely.

"Hmph," grumped the leader, "That may be, but we in the prime of life also have our reasons to see you locked away under the compound—one of them being that we will be able to catch you up on all the great fun you've been missing while you were off in your sheltered little home away from home."

Having no doubts about what kind of 'fun' he had in mind, Haruka said, "Your offer is noted. However, I already am late to several previous engagements—one of them being the redemption of our beleaguered Branch House—and so I must decline. You'll understand if I go my own way now."

Several of the enemies surrounding her chuckled. The leader replied, "So, it's redemption, is it? How laughable—allying with a demon child and a lunatic to 'save' us!"

Though she had heard the words countless times before, this seemed to be a case of too many straws on the camel's back. The Hyuuga outcast trembled with anger. "Naruto-kun is the Kyuubi's jailer, you arrogant half-wits!" Haruka yelled. "If not for him, the true demon would have razed this village years ago! And Keisuke, blind idiot that he is, has more sight into the heart of things than all of your Byakugan eyes together—if he is a lunatic, then I will tear out my own eyes before I believe it!" The defiant words rang out in the afternoon forest, and it seemed that all of the wildlife was silent in solemn tribute to her determination.

"If that is your wish," said the squadron leader, "Then we will be glad to assist you. But come now, we've wasted too much time already. Keeping us talking in hopes that a patrol would eventually find us was clever, but our patience only stretches so thin. Will you yield yourself to us, Haruka-san?"

Haruka stood her ground, eyes blazing white fury. She neither spoke nor moved.

The leader sighed. "Very well. Take her!"

A hand signal sent the fourteen other members of the capture team straight at the outcast. Moving as one, the semicircle closed in upon the target with terrible speed, leaving no room to escape. With a wall at her back and only enemies before her, Haruka knew there was only one way out of this: fight, and hold nothing back. As Naruto would have taught, surrender is never an option.

She fell into her Jyuuken stance, brought the chakra up from the depths of herself. She loathed fighting against her own kin. Yet she knew that, in a way, she was also fighting _for_ them, and for her own redemption. This was what drove her; she used it as her sword and her salve.

As the fourteen attackers closed on her, she brought her rage and determination to the surface, twirled with the force of a gale, and sent it all lashing out at the Hyuuga who were both enemies and friends. The ground crumbled at her feet, and the capture team was flung backward. A few intelligent fighters turned their momentum to their advantage, and guided themselves to a safe landing. More than half of them, however, were sent careening across the forest floor, sustaining mild to moderate injury.

The leader's face revealed shock and awe. "So, you have been taught the Kaiten," he said, amazement showing through his tone. "No member of the Branch family is meant to know that maneuver, and only one has ever figured it out for himself. Where could you have gleaned the knowledge?"

Haruka came gracefully out of her spin and settled back into her Jyuuken stance. "Let us say," she said, her pupils contracting with deadly purpose, "That it pays to have known the Head of the clan when he was younger and less strict. Don't worry; when Keisuke and I succeed, you also will be granted powers that you have been denied." Looking into her crackling eyes, the leader had a very queasy feeling come over him. He could see that she believed in and meant everything that she said... But was she believing truth?

No, he thought. She has either chosen to believe a lie, or she is demented. "Do not relent!" he commanded. "She is strong, but now we know her strength, and the superiority of our numbers remains!"

Taking their commander's words to heart, the capture team picked themselves up and renewed their advance. This time they were more cautious; they came in ones and twos so as not to provoke another Kaiten, and they rotated in and out in a coordinated dance of death.

Haruka, however, had fought such coordinated assaults before, against Naruto's armies of Kage Bunshins. She ducked over and under, juked left and juked right, evading all their efforts. She was the center of a maelstrom, her hands were the event horizon of a black hole. Her enemies were drawn to her, and if they were not quick enough, they would be sucked into her Jyuuken palm and enter the dark void, never to return.

Two of her enemies fell. The attack became more frantic, less coordinated.

Another went down. Morale among her enemies went down with him.

A fourth was rendered unable to attack due to chakra being cut off from both of his arms. A fifth was gouged in his eyes and collapsed to the ground, whimpering like a child.

With only nine opponents left, Haruka began to feel fear seeping into the hearts of her foes. This knowledge elated her, brought her into a state of mind where nothing mattered but herself and her opponent, and how she was destroying that opponent both physically and mentally. It was almost like bloodlust—Keisuke liked to call it her "Sadist's Glow."

She stood in their midst like a mighty colossus, wielding fury and chakra together in a symphony of destruction. Wherever her feet landed, winds kicked up, hurling dust in the eyes of the enemy. Wherever her gaze turned, her foes cringed, fearing for their lives. Yet they were not broken; they kept coming, if in a less and less organized fashion.

_Well, _she thought, _they're about scared enough now, so we can fix that rather easily._

The black bandanna that she kept wrapped around her cursed seal came loose at her behest, fluttering to the ground. Exposed to the eyes of her enemies was her seal—but it was not the seal that the Hyuuga capture team expected to see. A normal Caged Bird seal was etched in green, burned into the skin like a scar. They were shocked to discover that Haruka's seal appeared more like it had been merely written upon her forehead by an elegant calligraphist, not burned. And the seal itself was shining a very peculiar color.

Haruka smiled, remembering the day she had been blessed with this new seal. It had come about when Keisuke had lost to her in a drinking contest...

"_Pay up, blind man,"_ _Haruka said, smiling the superior, triumphant smile that Keisuke hated. _

"_Gah, I'm flat broke," whined the red-faced Keisuke. His speech was slurred, and he couldn't seem to manage sitting up straight. "Would yeh take an I.O.U.?"_

"_No," she pressed on, knocking him off of the bar stool to the floor with a flick of her finger. She waited until he had righted himself, grunting painfully, and then put on her most sadistic tone of voice. "I think I'll enjoy my reward now. A reward of entertainment..."_

"_Dam... et..." _

"_Strip to your boxers and run ten times around the building, singing at the top of your lungs."_

"_Grr. What shong?" When he was roaring drunk, Keisuke was surprisingly obedient. He was out of his pants and his shirt within twenty seconds, and was drawing a great many stares._

"_Surprise me. Just about anything you can sing while you're wasted would humiliate you as much as ten defeats at my hands."_

"_Ragh... I can't think of anything right now..." Keisuke thought a moment, looking very comical in his boxers and sandals, his red face a mess of drunken concentration. "Shay," he said, "What if I gave you a preshent?"_

_Haruka was intrigued. "What kind of present?"_

_Keisuke grinned like a happy child. Haruka felt one of his Ghostly Arms slip underneath her bandanna and brush up against her forehead. "What?" she said, astonished._

_Keisuke did not answer, but instead worked more of his Arm up to her forehead. She felt a cool tingle on her Caged Bird seal, as though the Arm was a balm to the charred canyons that the Main family had burned into existence there. _

_Haruka dropped to her knees next to Keisuke, seized him by the shoulders. "What the hell did you just do? You know what you were messing with?"_

_The blind man grinned stupidly. "I fixed it," he said. "Fat-Head family can't hurt you wit it anymore! My Arm'sh in it, my chakra'sh in it... their killin' jutshu won't reach through that,"_

_Haruka gaped at him. How long had he been keeping this from her? "You... you covered up the Caged Bird?"_

"_And... AND!" Keisuke said, standing up and looking drunkenly proud of himself, "My chakra'sh foreign, so the Main Housh bashtardsh won't figure out how to break t'rough it! I'm brilliant!"_

He's something, that's for sure, _thought Haruka. _

"_Happy birthday, shcary loser!"_

_Haruka was torn between wondering how he'd found room in his drunken brain to remember her birthday and wondering about the origin of this new name he had for her. The latter option won._

"_'Scary loser,' huh, Keisuke?" _

"_Uh-huh."_

"_What are you scared of?"_

"_Uh... huhm..."_

"_It wouldn't be the punishment I keep having to give you," she asked, grabbing the barkeep's pet cat and hurling it into his face, "Would it?"_

_Keisuke thrashed as the feline's claws dug into his face, and finally he tumbled out of the second-story window into the night air. His boxers remained behind, caught on the window latch. Grabbing her camera, Haruka walked over to the window, looked down to where he had landed, unconscious in a dumpster, and snapped off a few quick shots._

"_Now this," she said, "Is a much better birthday present than I ever expected."_

_The next morning, Keisuke would wake up with his worst hangover yet, wondering why one of his Arms was shorter than the other sixty-three and without the faintest clue of the previous night's events. _

Haruka smiled fondly at that memory; it was one of her favorites. Then she concentrated, running her chakra through the altered seal and increasing it's luster tenfold.

Apart from rendering her immune to the nerve-killing jutsu that the Main House could perform on the Branch, Haruka had discovered that the piece of Reiude affixed to the seal fed upon Haruka's chakra to preserve itself, and had the interesting side effect of altering chakra that she pushed through it to resemble Keisuke's.

While having been invaded by the blind idiot's energy wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts, it did help her out in certain situations; being able to replace one's chakra signature with someone else's was an invaluable tool when being pursued by a skilled shinobi. It had also proven useful for scare tactics, for Keisuke's chakra—when visible—was colored differently from most humans' when he was in the heat of battle. It was a bright blue, but there was a sickly yellow tint to it that suggested all was not normal with the man.

It did the same for her. The seal upon her forehead shone with that same tint as she channeled chakra through it. And as the tainted chakra spread through her, it appeared vividly in the eyes of her Byakugan-wielding opponents.

The leader, still standing where he'd been since the fighting began, was aghast with shock. "It cannot be! The demon child has passed his taint into his allies!" The nine remaining opponents turned their Byakugan eyes off, unable to believe what they were seeing and frightened to look upon it any more.

This was what Haruka had been hoping for. She brought her hands together in a quick set of seals, preparing a jutsu that was, by Hyuuga standards, very unorthodox.

"You are afraid," Haruka said, layering her voice with all the malice she could muster. "That is well. **Akuma Gyoushi!**" (Demon Gaze)

The genjutsu took effect immediately. Her opponents, who had turned off their Byakugans to avoid looking at the unsightly color of Keisuke's chakra, now were forced to look upon it. A gargantuan pair of eyes and a forehead engulfed their vision. The eyes were unmistakably active Byakugan eyes, but instead of blazing silver-white, they glimmered with the same bright yellow-tainted blue that characterized the seal on the forehead. The brow was contracted in wrathful anger, and their fear of that anger was in complete control.

As they cowered, Haruka moved swiftly to knock them all out. One by one, her genjutsu-captivated attackers were struck on the head and granted peace in unconsciousness. When it was done, she stood in her victory over their prone forms, facing their leader. He, at least, had had the sense to keep his Byakugan on, and protect himself from the genjutsu.

"So," he said, as Haruka began a slow march up the hill towards him, "It has come to this. Just us two. Man-to-man. Just you, and me, and... my reinforcements!"

Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by twenty-five more Hyuuga Branch members, who leaped into view from their various hiding places out of range of her Byakugan.

Haruka's Byakugan barely had time to register the speeding masked Hyuuga as he leaped from the wall. Her perception was as good as any Hyuuga, but she had expended much energy on the skirmish already, and the man had gotten a running start from beyond the range of her vision. By the time she had turned, the man's chakra-charged palm had struck her squarely in the heart.

She keeled over, seemingly dead. The commander breathed a relieved sigh, and deactivated his Byakugan. "You've arrived just in time. I thought she would murder me for sure! You're in line for a promotion, sir... er... what is your name, anyway? With my Byakugan off I cannot see your face under..."

He was silenced by a subtle strike to a pressure point in his spinal column, and toppled to the ground with his fellows. He would live, but there would be no fighting for a while with a pinched nerve. The other twenty-five Branch Housers were startled, rushed forward to see who betrayed them. They didn't get the chance.

"**Hakke Shou Daikaiten!**"

The massive wave of swirling chakra blasted them directly, knocking them asunder. None of them got back up.

"I apologize, Haruka-san," said the masked Hyuuga. "If I hadn't made you play dead first, this idiot might have guessed he had been betrayed, and looked under the mask before he fell. I don't want to lose my cover just yet."

He pulled his mask off, revealing the face of Hyuuga Neji.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto lay before a massive set of vertical steel bars, floating upon the chill waters of the one place where his soul was dark. Affixed to the lock on the heavy metal gate was a paper tag, upon which was written the word, **SEAL.**

_Oh, no, _he thought with anger, _not this place again..._

_**Oh, yes,**_ rumbled the low voice from behind the gate, **_you are here again. It's been such a long time, boy... You're becoming more skilled at running away._**

_I'm getting better at _winning!Naruto protested. _I'm strong enough on my own. I can use the Reiude now, thanks to Keisuke, and Ero-Sennin's training toughened me up way beyond my old level. It's because I haven't needed you that we haven't seen each other, stupid fox; not because I've been hiding like a pansy._

_**Is that so? You're still weak, little one. Not as weak as the last time we met, I grant you that. But you **_**are ****_running away and hiding—hiding from the power that can solve everything for you!_**

_You, huh?_

_**Yes. As strong as you may become, little one, it is nothing compared to what I can give you. Compared with me, you are a speck. Why do you refuse to gain power?**_

A memory flashed in Naruto's mind, one of Keisuke:

"_Never trust demons. All the power that they promise, they will deliver, of course... but for every ounce of power gained, there is a price that they will exact. More often than not, the power isn't worth half the price. I know; I dealt with demons centuries before you were born."_

_**Heed that sniveling coward if you wish, **_scoffed Kyuubi, **_but you've known me far longer than you've known him. You have seen what I do for you. And you know that even now, your body is dying... lend it to me, and I will mend it. Not only that, I will take vengeance upon that imbecile Hyuuga, and then we will sniff out your old 'friend' Uchiha. You know that I can do this._**

_No sale, stupid fox._ Naruto was adamant. He wanted to prove once and for all that he was stronger than Kyuubi.

But Kyuubi only laughed. **_You are DYING, little one. I am the only one who may heal you. Your 'teammate' cannot get to you... she has been seized by the Hyuuga's lieutenants._**

Naruto persisted, despite the fact that he felt himself weakening. _I'll keep myself alive, thanks a lot. At least long enough to kick that Hiroto bastard's ass, and then Sakura can heal me... besides, even if I die, you'll go with me, so Konoha wouldn't be yours to ransack anyway._

_**Are you certain you want to take that chance? Did you not swear that until you saved Uchiha Sasuke, you would never die? I thought you didn't break promises, **_Kyuubi snickered.

Naruto pressed with all his will, forcing himself to rise, to make himself fight. But it was all in vain. No amount of willpower could piece his shattered bones back together, staunch the internal bleeding, and heal his organs. _Sakura and Kakashi are still there, if I'm gone,_ he said. _And I won't really die... If I don't have a body, I can haunt Sasuke in his dreams until he goes insane. He'll see the sacrifices we made for him, and he'll come around._

_**You really believe that, huh?**_ Kyuubi sneered at him, unimpressed. **_Or are you just too stubborn to take my help and save yourself? Weak child, I am at my wits' end... ah, but perhaps there is one thing yet that might sway you. Here, I will open your eyes for you... you can see for yourself..._**

Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra flow, and his eyes open. It was not sight as he knew it; it was like watching the outside world through two huge windows. But through it, he could see what Kyuubi wanted him to see. There was Sakura being held fast in the grip of Hiroto's accomplice, pale-faced and struggling, trying to reach him, heal him. The sight moved him.

Then he saw the other lieutenant, holding the other girl that had come with him that morning, and was blown away. Hinata's face was the saddest, most beautiful sight he had ever seen. There was no red color in it, for once. Always before, she had never looked at him directly without turning some variation of the color red. Now, though, it was wondrously and lustrously pale, and even with the tears streaking down from her anguished lavender-tinted eyes, Naruto was nearly melted under its radiance. She made no sound, and her lips did not move. All communication was in her eyes, her entrancing pale eyes. They were begging him, pleading with him not to go, not to abandon them.

Not to die.

_**Look at that face, **_commanded Kyuubi, smiling wickedly all the while. **_Would you not give up all your soul, even to a stupid fox, if asked by a face like that?_**

No further conversation took place. The decision had already been made.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hiroto released his Byakugan, satisfied that the devil child would soon be gone from the world. He ordered his two lieutenants to seize the girls, hold off the medic until the boy died, and to prepare Hinata-sama for departure. When the lieutenants encountered resistance, Hiroto moved forward, intending to introduce the whelps to the sandman.

"Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun!"

Annoyed, Hiroto rolled his eyes. "The devil boy is on his way to the abyss. You would do well not to follow him," he said. Then he saw the looks on the girls' faces shift from death-shock to astonishment and mild fright. He wondered turned himself back to face the corpse...

Then he was head-butted by the corpse in his gut, producing a very uncomfortable sensation. He flew backwards, skidding to a halt some fifty yards away. Luckily for him, Hiroto had not yet eaten today (which had caused him to be in a particularly bad mood until now), and thus he did not feel an immediate need to throw up. This was well, for he barely dodged the next attack, which was nothing less than a clawed hand formed entirely of chakra.

Boiling, dark red chakra.

Hiroto flipped his Byakugan back on. His superior vision saw the boy in his entirety, flesh and bone, inner chakra coils, organs, and the Reiude. He could see that all of this was completely engulfed in this new, evil chakra. Even more appalling: the damaged bones and organs were healing before his eyes!

It was obvious in a flash that he could not fight this alone. "Leave the females!" he called to his lieutenants. "Kill the demon!"

Unfortunately, the lieutenants were unable to comply. Each of them had attempted to follow orders, but had been immediately blocked by their former captives. They were locked in combat with Sakura and Hinata, who were working to keep themselves away from the beast as well as their enemies. Hiroto was alone against this demon of dark lore.

Naruto fought to keep the chakra's destructive impulses in check. He would allow Kyuubi to heal him, and defeat this bastard, but he would let the fox go no further. He maintained conscious control as best he could, though it was difficult. Meanwhile, his nine Tails of Light had become nine tails of flame, with every Ghostly Arm that had not been used before peeling off from its old location and joining the tail formation at the base of his spine. The intense concentration of evil chakra caused the Arms to burst into deadly fire.

These tails lashed about in all directions as he ran on all fours towards Hiroto, wilting and scorching in their wake. Leaping into the air, Naruto fanned them out and spun them, generating a burning wind that incinerated the ground where Hiroto had been a split second before.

The Hyuuga, though he was sweating profusely in the heat, took advantage of Naruto being of his feet to position himself for a strike, waiting for the demon-infused blond to land. But Naruto's blazing tails enveloped him in a protective firewall, and forced Hiroto to either retreat or collide with the human meteor. Naruto landed on his feet, spread his tails behind him, and gave a howl of frustration.

Hiroto knew that this was too much. As angry as he was, there was no way to match this beast's fury, and nothing he could do to negate its power. He did what no Hyuuga would think of doing except in the most dire of circumstances: Hiroto completely abandoned his mission. Sprinting away with all the speed he could make, he bounded away into the forest. Hiroto's lieutenants saw this, panicked, and followed suit, disengaging from Sakura and Hinata to flee as best they knew how.

_**Pursue! **_Roared Kyuubi in Naruto's head. **_Kill!_**

_Damn you, you stupid demon! This is my body! _Countered Naruto. _I make the rules! _They fought an inner struggle, and their shared body reflected it by stamping around on the scorched earth, making angry growls. Neither Sakura nor Hinata dared approach.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata said. Her voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. "What is this that you've become? What is wrong with you?" She stood there a long moment, cowed by her fear of the evil red chakra. Then, Haruka's words came to her out of the chaos of her mind...

"_Push a little, and he will fall right into your arms... nobody can oppose you..."_ Not even the beast that consumes him? Despite her fear, her legs found themselves moving her tentatively forward.

Sakura started in fear, knowing herself what was going on. "Hinata-chan! Stay back! He's not himself right now!" But her words fell on deaf ears. Hinata kept walking, her eyes fixed determinedly and questioningly on the flame-tailed blond boy.

Naruto also saw her coming. He felt destructive instinct coil up inside him, seeing a possible outlet for his frustration...

_Oh, hell no._ Naruto stared the mental Kyuubi in the face as he fought to wrestle him down. _You are not gonna make me turn myself over to you for her sake and then kill her. You will definitely not sink that low._

_**I might, if you aren't careful, brat.**_ Then Kyuubi's control gave out, and his evil face withdrew back into the darkness of his cage. He took his chakra with him, and the fire of Naruto's tails faded to their regular blue glow, then faded away completely.

"Hehe... I win again," he said aloud. It seemed that he had indeed won over Hiroto and—for the moment—over Kyuubi.

_**Ah, well,**_ murmured the fox, **_we'll see what happens the next time your own strength fails you... which, considering your situation, shouldn't be long in the future at all..._**

At last, the nine-tailed fox demon went to sleep, dreaming his dreams of rampage and chaos as he waited for his next opportunity.

_If I have anything to say about it,_ Naruto retorted before going to sleep himself, _there isn't gonna be a next time._

He collapsed in exhaustion. A pair of slender, supportive arms caught him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Thirteen OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **Blah. All these characters going to sleep made me tired. Review like normal, and look for replies in the same old place.


	16. C14: The Sundered Sky

**A/N: **Keep typing, I must. Please the readers, I shall.

As the illustrious Kyo pointed out in a review, the only Keisuke in the last chapter was a drunken flashback Keisuke, which is not at all like normal Keisuke. Although, one must wonder if drunken Hyuuga men would behave in a similarly entertaining manner... The only male Hyuuga that I have seen with even an ounce of alcohol in him is Neji in an anime filler, and he kinda spasmed and then went to sleep with his face all neon red... intriguing...

Anyway, Keisuke's back in this chapter and sober. Enjoy yourselves, and try not to imagine too many Hyuugas roaring drunk as you read.

**Chapter Fourteen: The Sundered Sky**

As usual, the chakra of the demon fox worked its subtle magic upon its container in his sleep; when Naruto awoke from his exhaustion-induced nap, he was completely whole, without the faintest sign of any lingering damage. He sat up in the bed, surprised to find himself in his own apartment. It was cleaner than normal, that was true, but it was unmistakably his own bed that he'd been sleeping in. Looking around, he spotted a masked ninja guarding his rest, sitting hunched over a book in his chair by the door.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked up from his book. "Oh, so you're awake, Naruto," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Same as always, sensei," Naruto said, giving a grin. "Where are Sakura and Hinata?"

"They helped bring you here. Sakura did what she could for your injuries, then went looking for your companion, Keisuke. Hinata has gone to retrieve her pack; the ANBU are holding it for her, as she had to drop it while carrying you. There is also medicine within it that she wants to give you, though I doubt you need it."

"Eh? You made Hinata carry me, Kakashi-sensei? Geez, you're lazy."

"I didn't arrive until after you were halfway home," Kakashi replied. "I'm still not in the best shape after that trip to Suna, after all. And also... Hinata insisted."

Naruto turned this over in his head. _She didn't have to do that. She doesn't owe me anything, and she had an appointment to go to. Damn, she's a really nice person... Waitaminnit!_

"Oh, yeah! Kakashi-sensei, did you find anything out in that old lab? Something we missed?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing concrete. I did find the factory chamber, where they were producing hundreds at a time. Those were also abandoned... I picked up a few charts while I was there, too, just for evidence. I didn't find any information on Sasuke's whereabouts, though."

Naruto's face contorted in a frown. "Damn it," he said. "We'll definitely find him, even if I have to turn the whole village upside down!"

"I'm not finished," interrupted the masked Jounin. "I was about to say that even if I didn't find anything on Sasuke, I _did_ find something of interest. Look at this." Kakashi unfolded a map of Konoha and its environs. "I found it among the progress charts in the head technician's office."

"A map of the village?" Naruto questioned. "Sasuke knows the village. Why would they need... wait a minute," he paused, looking at it more closely. "It's been marked on. They've been using it to plan something."

"That's what I had in mind," the senior ninja said. "Several points on the map have been circled in red." Kakashi handed the map to Naruto, allowing him to study it further.

Naruto looked it over thoroughly, naming off the circled points he recognized, "The Hokage tower, the Academy, the Council building, Ichiraku Ramen... what are these other ones?"

"This one is the Hyuuga compound," Kakashi replied, pointing near one of the remaining circles, "and this one is the dwelling place of the Aburame Clan. The final circle is ANBU headquarters... but you're not supposed to know that, so you didn't hear it from me."

"Pretty much all of those are really important places," Naruto mused. "And as far as we know, Sasuke doesn't have any people in there, except for in the Council. Hmmm... could these places be Sasuke's targets?"

"Again, that's what I thought," said Kakashi. "It seems very likely that your theory—the one about Sasuke's clone army being a distraction to get the real threat into position—is true. Now we may know what they are in position _for_."

"But, Kakashi-sensei," asked Naruto, "Why would they want to attack the Council if that's where their mole is? And why the hell would they want to attack Ichiraku Ramen, specifically? If they're going to end up occupying the village, then there are plenty of places they can capture to get their food from..."

"I thought about that while you were sleeping," Kakashi said. Naruto didn't think it was truth, seeing the closed book in his old teacher's hands, but he let him continue. "I think that Orochimaru's agents must have orders to specifically not attack their own man, but it could be that they plan to kill him with the rest, since by that time his usefulness would be past. And I'm fairly sure that Ichiraku Ramen is a target purely because Sasuke knows how much you love that place."

Naruto's facial muscles twitched in anger. "Bastard," he said, "Thinks he's gonna break my spirit like that, huh? Like I'll let him!"

"Putting that aside," said Kakashi, "Our theory comes down to this: Orochimaru's forces are in hiding in multiple places in this village, awaiting orders from Sasuke or whoever is in command. They are going to be targeting key members of our society—Hokage-sama, the Council, the ANBU leaders, and the leaders of influential shinobi clans. They might go pillaging along the way, or it may just be a quiet assassination mission in preparation for a later invasion. But either way, it's a serious danger."

Naruto looked at his old sensei gravely. Both of them were running the same bad memories through their heads, stretching the silence and gathering the spiritual strength against the coming danger. "We'll stop them," he said. "They couldn't take Konoha down before, and they won't take it this time, either."

Kakashi nodded.

The door opened. Hinata's petite frame was half-visible through the doorway. "Oh..." she said, appearing unsure of herself, "M-may I come in?"

"Yeah, Hinata. Come right in," grinned Naruto. "My house is your house, as long as you like."

Hinata let out the breath she'd been holding. She'd been afraid to enter Naruto's house, at first; not all people took kindly to people entering their homes uninvited, and it seemed that she'd interrupted an important conversation. Seeing that neither of these was a factor in her welcome, the shy girl stepped into Naruto's bedroom for the first time.

"Ano, I brought some medicine," she said, holding up a bottle of a powdery, yellow-white substance. "Kiba-kun and Neji-nii-san use it often when they practice with me... it helps heal damage from the Jyuuken."

Naruto declined with a nod of his head. "I'm fine," he said. "Besides, since you're such a good shinobi now, Kiba and Neji are going to be needing it a lot more than me."

Flattered at Naruto's compliment, Hinata blushed and mumbled incoherent thanks while she put the medicine away.

Kakashi, knowing what was likely to take place and not feeling the need to interrupt, said, "Well, I'm off to report to Hokage-sama about this. Naruto, don't worry about answering for your scuffle with the Hyuuga back there; I'll answer for you."

Naruto smiled appreciatively at him. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. See ya."

"Later," said Kakashi. He disappeared out the door, leaving Hinata with Naruto in the bedroom.

A moment of uneasy silence passed between the two of them. Naruto, while he enjoyed Hinata's company, couldn't think of any relevant conversation to make with her. However, he was unwilling to ask her to leave. Hinata had something to say, but she was having problems finding the correct words, and being alone in a bedroom with her lifelong love wasn't exactly easy on her nerves. The result was two confused teenagers sitting in silence, each glancing at the floor and fumbling for something to say to the other.

They broke the silence at the same time.

"Anosa..."

"Ano..."

They were cast into a yet more embarrassing and awkward silence. Naruto, being more proactive, broke this one much more quickly.

"You first, Hinata."

"Ano... no, Naruto-kun should speak first in his own home." She kicked herself mentally for being so shy.

"Heh, I'm yielding to you. I owe you for lugging my heavy carcass home, after all."

"Ah... S-so you were awake for that?" Her blush increased tenfold; if he had heard her insist that she carry him, and heard Sakura's lewd comments that came after...

"Nah, Kakashi-sensei told me," Naruto said. He grinned warmly at Hinata—an expression that soothed her nerves a little. "Oh... Hinata, didn't your dad need you for something?"

"Uhm, yes," she began nervously, "But, I wanted to make sure that you were okay first, because... well, after what you did, standing up to Captain Hiroto for me... You didn't need to do that at all, but it was a very brave and kind thing. I... Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's face was rapt with attention during her slightly stumbling speech. It wasn't every day that he was thanked so profusely by such a nice and pretty girl. Now, though, it settled back into it's usual cocky grin, pleased to be complimented.

"Hehe... no problem, Hinata. Any time! And thanks a lot to you for going with us today."

Hinata smiled happily, having accomplished her objective without a problem. "You're welcome. I will go home to my father, then." She bowed to the master of the house, and then turned to walk out the door.

She was halted by a strong hand on her arm. "Hinata."

She turned in the gentle grasp. There was Naruto, inches from her, with a deadly serious look on his whisker-marked face. Hinata looked up at him like a cornered doe. _H-he's so close..._

Then she shook off her nervousness and said, "Y-yes?"

Registering that his hand now clasped the arm of a girl who, due to her proximity and the wideness of her pale eyes, had a rapidly-climbing cuteness factor, Naruto's brain momentarily imploded. He forgot what he'd been about to ask. The two of them stood silent for the third time that day.

Hinata's face took on a questioning aspect. "Naruto-kun?"

He snapped back to himself. "Uh... oh, yeah. Hinata, I want to see you again tomorrow."

"O-oh?" Hinata was once again the befuddled one. "W-what for, Naruto-kun?"

"Ah..." Naruto realized he wasn't quite sure, himself. He improvised, and managed to come up with a pretty good answer. "You know... just to make sure nothing goes wrong with your folks. You're kinda late now, thanks to me. I wanna make sure you're all right."

Hinata was so taken aback by this that she didn't speak. Rather, her mouth didn't; her face was talking ever more loudly by the moment.

This was fine, for Naruto's improvisational rambling had yet to end. "And if anyone's going to treat you the same way that Hiroto guy did today, I want to know about that. Yeah! I'll kick their asses, all of them! Yeah!" Naruto then went into a very amusing pantomime, stamping around and squashing imaginary Hirotos.

Watching him, Hinata's shock wore off, and she broke into giggles at the routine. Naruto finished his mock rampage and faced her again, putting his hand behind his head and grinning abashedly. They remained that way for a short moment, and then Hinata turned towards the door again.

"Then... I'll come by tomorrow, when I have time," she said. "Good-bye, Naruto-kun."

"All right," Naruto responded, waving to her.

She walked out of the bedroom and made her way to the apartment's exit. Just as she closed the door behind her, she heard Naruto's voice call out, "Take care, Hinata-chan!"

The door closed with a heavy _Thunk!_ Hinata stood on his doorstep a long moment, practically glowing red at his new addition to her name. Then she smiled with a happiness unrivaled by any she had experienced before. Beginning the walk home, she absorbed herself in blissful thoughts.

_Haruka-san... I think you may have been right. Thank you!_

The black clouds above her parted, letting the sunlight through to shine on her head. It accompanied her all the way to the end of the street.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

With Hinata gone, Naruto found himself alone. For a long time, he simply stood in his bedroom doorway, lost in thoughts. Then, he began to do what he had not done since the first day he had lived here.

He started rearranging furniture. When everything was in a completely different place, he cleaned out his refrigerator and reorganized that. From there he moved on to his kitchen cabinets, his bathroom shelves, and everything else that wasn't nailed down. On and on he went, for over an hour.

The outer struggle that Naruto fought to see everything in the apartment fit together neatly was a parallel of the struggle that he fought to piece together the puzzle whose parts had been splattered about in his brain. He roamed the cavities of himself as he navigated the pathways through his rooms, searching, picking up, testing, placing, and re-placing. Finally, as he set his picture of the old team seven down in a different place for the umpteenth time, Naruto collapsed onto his bed, finished.

Naruto's apartment was unrecognizable as his own. His face showed that his thoughts were likewise alien.

"Crap," he said. "I think that maybe... I really like her."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata entered the compound unchallenged. Nobody came to the gate to greet her, nobody was waiting to lead her to her father. The front courtyard appeared completely deserted.

She went cold inside. This did not bode well at all. Since the announcement that Hinata was to inherit the seat of power had been made, she had not entered the Hyuuga compound without being greeted by a servant or her father. Memories came back to her of the days when she had been a weak and unappreciated girl, and she shivered. Back then, whenever her father had summoned her, it had never been good news.

It occurred to Hinata that there probably wasn't going to be good news now, either.

She walked the path around the main building towards the first garden. In the old days, her father had always awaited her there when he had summoned her. Her footsteps resounded off the path, counting out a cadence that was like a death march to Hinata's fearful ears. After two perfectly good days, it seemed that things were going to become difficult again. She felt that the tenuous peace that had existed in the Hyuuga household for the last two years was on the verge of evaporating.

Hinata found her father just where she expected him to be: in the shadows of the fruit orchard, his back to the garden gate, arbitrarily admiring the progress of his flora while he waited. She gulped down her anxiety and steeled herself for the worst. With unsteady arms, she opened the gate and walked into the orchard.

Hiashi turned around to face her, and Hinata was surprised at his expression. She had expected to see anger, fury, and wrath in his visage. What she found instead were anguish, sorrow, and regret. Out of concern, Hinata moved closer to her father, and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong.

But her father held up a hand, stopping her. Hinata gasped in alarm—within that hand, Hiashi held the photographs that Haruka had given her.

"I cannot permit it," he said. "I will not permit it."

"Father...!"

"Silence," he commanded, dropping the hand. "For months, I have been hearing the rumors. I did not heed them; I could never have expected that you would let yourself into this. In my desire to keep you as my daughter, I cast them from my head."

Hinata's lips quavered, and Hiashi's face twisted in grief. "But I was wrong to do so. I will not ask how far you have taken this, as I fear the pain of the answer would destroy me."

"F-Father..."

"Silence!" he repeated. "Hinata, you have known for a long time that my advisors—the Council—do not wish you to succeed me. Despite your accomplishments, they still see you as too soft, too weak. It took all of my effort to overrule them without inciting rebellion. If you have allowed yourself to become chained to this demon child, then I cannot keep them placated unless you are removed from the list of heirs."

"Father," said Hinata, in a dark, low tone of voice. Hiashi did not silence her; this was a tone that he had never once, in his life, heard from his first daughter. He looked into her eyes, saw them fiercer than he thought they could be, and was cowed.

She continued speaking. "You are only the second person to refer to Naruto-kun in front of me as a 'demon child.' Yet, I am already growing sick at hearing it!" Hinata's voice rose with each word she spoke. She was audible throughout the garden now.

"Today I saw this 'demon' that you fear," she went on. "At first, I was frightened, as you are. It was strange and wild and unfamiliar, and I could not help but tremble before it. I was the 'soft, weak' girl that the Council believes me to be, for a moment.

"And then, Father, I returned to myself—my better self—and summoned the nerve to approach it. For Naruto-kun was within it, I could see... Not part of it, not one with it, but inside it. As I approached it, it turned to me and I looked into its eyes. The eyes were the demon's eyes, and I thought for a moment that I was to die there. Yet, even as I prepared to be slaughtered, Father, the eyes became those of Naruto-kun, a human being, and then the demon was within _him_, not the opposite. Naruto-kun houses this demon that frightens you so, but he is not the demon himself; He contains it, and he controls it!"

Hiashi could not believe that his oldest daughter, the quiet, obedient, kind girl that he had fathered for fifteen years, was speaking so determinedly and powerfully to him. His sliver eyes were open to their fullest, so surprised that they could not so much as blink.

She had still more to say. "Then, as we carried him home in his exhaustion, Haruno Sakura explained everything to me. The name of the demon you fear is 'Kyuubi.'" Hinata watched her father flinch at this, but did not stop. "Yondaime Hokage-sama, so the story has been told, sealed the Kyuubi away. Our generation has not been told what became of it. But your generation, Father, knows the truth—that the monster was sealed inside the body of a newborn child! In Naruto-kun!"

She was almost shouting now, and her eyes were watering. Speaking to her father this way, however necessary, was painful. "Yondaime-sama wanted Naruto-kun to be revered as a hero, seen for what he is—the Kyuubi's jailer—not for what sleeps within him. But your generation ignored him! That is why he was treated so badly, all that time! That is why he was neglected, shunned, and hated by all but the kindest of people, bless them... Yes, Father, bless them! Bless the ones who helped the 'demon child!'"

Her monologue ended. Both of them stood rooted in place, Hinata glaring at her father for the first time in recorded history, Hiashi looking upon his daughter with disbelief. Above them, lightning flared in the sky, and thunder crashed about them, punctuating Hinata's words with booming cacophony. For the first time since the onset of the clouds, rain began to fall.

Hiashi's tears, which had not been seen since his first day in power, fell with it. He was going through what every parent must, one day, only a hundred times more painfully than the average parent. He was losing his daughter, and he had only just acknowledged her.

"I truly wish that I could believe what you say," he said, his voice filled with grief, "And that the Advisory Council could believe, but we cannot. If I were the Hyuuga Hiashi that I once was, I could grind the Council underfoot and shove all of this under the table. But I have been complacent."

Hinata kept glaring at him, though her own tears had now joined his in the soil. Hiashi forced himself to keep going. "In my effort to heal the rift between the Main and Branch Houses, I slackened my hold upon the reins of government, let more decisions be made among the members of the clan.

"The elders have taken advantage of my complacency and seized power for themselves. I should have reacted at the first signs of conspiracy, but now the Advisory Council has as much influence in the Clan as I do. There is no way for me to be sure who is loyal to whom anymore, and we are more divided among ourselves than we ever were."

The downpour came upon them, weighing them down, plunging their once-happy coexistence into murky darkness. "If I do not keep them appeased, then they will rip the Clan in half with civil war. Therefore I give you this choice, Hinata."

More lightning, so bright that it nearly blinded them. More rain, so heavy that it soaked them to the marrow of their bones, the essence of their souls, dragging them into dark depths.

"It is not too late to disavow all knowledge of this. You may claim that you were set up, that these photographs were planted. You can have everything return to the way it was. But, barring missions, you must never again associate with Uzumaki Naruto. Your contact with him must be professional only. The alternative..."

Hiashi paused, gulped down sweat and rainwater and tears. He had never imagined that he would be saying these next words to his own daughter, not in this life or the next. Yet, everything else was shattered... how much more pain would this bring, the like of which he had not already endured?

"The alternative is to be engraved with the Caged Bird Seal. You will become a member of the Branch House, and forever forfeit my legacy."

It hurt more than he had thought it would. The words reached Hinata through the storm, and he could see that it hurt her, as well. Her glare dropped, and her eyes filled with pain and hesitancy, indecision. _So, it has come down to this,_ he thought. _In the end, I was the one whose weakness destroyed us. Hizashi... now more than ever, I believe it should have been you to succeed our father... _They did not move for several long, agonized minutes.

Then a messenger came to them through the storm, ambling towards Hiashi in the pelting rain. "Hiashi-sama!" he called. "At the request of Tsunade-sama, you are to report to the Hokage Tower as soon as possible!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keisuke was glad to be indoors. His ever-alert ears picked up the roaring noise of the storm even through the moderately sound-proofed walls and windows of the Hokage's office. _Have to feel sorry for the others who were summoned, _he thought. Having had to report to the tower to complete his registration anyway, Keisuke had been the first to arrive at the meeting. Now he stood before Tsunade and her attendant, awaiting the rest of the participants.

Next to arrive was Nara Shikamaru, looking more annoyed than he was damp.

He was followed by Hatake Kakashi, who somehow had not been afflicted by the downpour at all. Keisuke, having never met the man but been told numerous stories by Naruto, surmised that he had been here early, as well, having arrived at the meeting later due to being occupied with his book.

Hyuuga Neji was third, and only moments behind him came...

"Hyuuga Hiashi! What a pleasant surprise!" Keisuke said, sensing the familiar aura. He was indeed surprised, but he managed to flash one of his evil grins as the Hyuuga Head came to stand before the Hokage.

Hiashi did not acknowledge it, however. Keisuke found, through further examination of the man's aura, that he was not at all in the mood to play. In fact, Hiashi was flat-out sulking. This was definitely not what Keisuke had thought he would see from the once-proud Hyuuga, and he didn't like it; his enemies were supposed to be strong, robust, confident... he didn't want to have to fight an opponent who was in such a pathetic state.

Tsunade called the meeting to order. "Haka no Keisuke, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hiashi, and Hatake Kakashi. You are here," she said, "To answer for a number of complications that have arisen today." Her eyes swept the room, and she gave the ones she meant a glare that could kill lesser creatures dead. "I believe that most of you know which complications apply to you."

The Godaime Hokage lifted her finger and indicated Kakashi, who was standing on the far right. "Explain." Kakashi launched into the tale that Sakura told him, explaining the provocation, the result, and the aftermath in dull, militaristic detail.

"That story is consistent with what the ANBU believe to be true," Tsunade said. "Naruto's actions were justifiable, by his standards. He was defending a comrade, and he had sufficient sense to avoid killing his opponent. Hyuuga Hiroto acted in self-defense, as expected of any shinobi. However, I will need to speak to both of them personally—to Naruto about his rash and hasty decision and to Hiroto for mistreatment and use of excessive force on a Gennin." All who were present, minus Keisuke, caught the dangerous gleam in her eye. They knew what kind of 'speech' she would be giving.

Tsunade moved on. "Hyuuga Neji!"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Neji's face was straight as an arrow, as was his posture.

"You saw the incident that took place beyond the east wall this afternoon?"

"Hai."

"Explain."

Neji, without so much as blinking, recounted what he had seen of the attack on Haruka, the latter's magnificent and valiant defense, and the manner in which he had defeated the reinforcements without revealing his own identity to the attacking Hyuuga.

Tsunade nodded. "Hiashi?"

"This ambush was not executed on my orders," replied the Hyuuga Head bitterly.

_It wasn't?_ Keisuke thought. Carefully, he probed the man's aura with all of his newly-regrown feelers, but he could find no trace of a lie within his stoicism and misery. _Either he's very good at dissembling, or the control problems that he's having are much bigger than I originally guessed._

"All right. The facts of Neji's involvement are not to be disclosed; he will need to remain in good faith among his Clan. Haka no Keisuke!"

"Hai, Godaime-sama," Keisuke said, snapping to attention before her.

"I do not have any reports of violence concerning you. However, since you are new to this village, and because there are rumors circulating regarding you and a supposed malicious intent towards the Hyuuga, I have called you here to be sure that you are in no way involved in this mess. Do you or do you not bear any hostile intentions to the Hyuuga Clan?"

"I do not, Godaime-sama," said Keisuke, "Though, if I may speak freely...?"

"You have my permission," replied Tsunade.

Keisuke nodded. "I am not content to leave the Hyuuga as they are. Since the founding of their Clan, they have been divided into factions, with one side always either lording over or serving the other. They are divided still, but now it has become clear to me that it is fragmenting in more directions than in between the Main House and the Branch. Not only that, but they have now demonstrated hostility towards my friend, Hyuuga Haruka.

"Another friend of mine, Uzumaki Naruto, has the means to end this fragmentation and civil war peacefully. My actions towards the Hyuuga are meant to pave the way for him to work his work, and at the same time to preserve him from harm. I assure you, my intent is to bring stability to the Hyuuga, not destruction."

If Neji did not stand between Keisuke and Hiashi, there were many who thought that Hiashi might have strangled the blind man. As it was, he almost cried out in protest, but a glare from Tsunade cut him short. With that powerful authority in front of him, checking him, Hiashi dared not move or even speak out of turn. Having made sure that Hiashi was kept thoroughly in check, the Hokage addressed Keisuke again.

"Your alibi suits you, and is even somewhat consistent with the rumors... at least the ones about you and Naruto. I don't see any need to have Ibiki talk to you. You will be free to go at the conclusion of this meeting," she said.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," Keisuke said. He bowed, and Hiashi fought down his anger once more.

Now the Hokage returned to her desk. "Hyuuga Hiashi, you are to keep your elite guard and your other Clan members in line. If another violent incident occurs with your people, you will be made to answer for it. You are dismissed."

Hiashi bowed to her stiffly, and then stormed out of the office, not even looking at Keisuke. _Wow,_ thought the blind man, _something must have happened. Something big. _

"Hatake Kakashi!"

"Hai, hai."

"I believe you had something to report to me?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Well, what is it?"

Keisuke listened to the famed Copy Ninja's report boredly at first, but soon developed a great interest. _So it seems that this 'Sasuke' that Naruto kept talking about has come back to haunt us,_ he thought. _The poor kid... I'm putting the fate of the Hyuuga Clan on his shoulders already, and the gods saddle him with this on top of that? Destiny is so cruel sometimes._

Tsunade also was intrigued. "You are sure of everything you have said, Kakashi?"

"It's only a theory, Hokage-sama, but Naruto and I think that it is accurate to some degree," replied Kakashi.

"Hmm..." Tsunade appeared to be pondering this intensively. Then she turned to the only person yet to speak at the meeting. "Shikamaru, you've made sound judgments in the past... what do you make of it?"

"Geez, so that's why you called me here..." grumbled the young Jounin. "Frankly, Kakashi's idea sounds a lot like a shogi game with invisible pieces, and it's the opponent's move. Your enemy is everywhere and, at the same time, he is nowhere. There is no way we can be certain that the enemy is hiding under your doormat, Hokage-sama... but we do know that there is an enemy, and it's more than possible, considering his motives, that he's playing on our shogi board, though we can't know when or where he will strike."

"I see." said Tsunade. Then she came to a decision. "Haka no Keisuke, Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji! You are commanded to thoroughly search all of the areas circled on Kakashi's map for signs of Orochimaru's organization. You will report to me daily on your progress. If you make a discovery, you will not investigate further, but report to me immediately. Venture into no dark corner alone, and arouse no suspicions among the villagers. Shikamaru, you are the leader of this effort."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied the young Jounin. _Man, what a pain..._

The Hokage nodded her satisfaction, then dismissed them all. Kakashi was left in the office with Tsunade.

"I suppose your team is going to continue looking, too?" she asked.

"Naruto will go, no matter what we say, and Sakura will follow him. You know that."

"Yes," she sighed, "I suppose they will. Watch over them, Kakashi."

The masked Jounin bowed and left the office. Tsunade, thoroughly stressed, reached into her desk drawer for a concealed bottle there. For once, Shizune did not stop her.

"But, you know, Tsunade-sama," said the attendant, "You really ought to think about assigning personal guards for the people in the greatest danger."

"Hmm... that's a good point. I suppose I'll just have the Hyuuga use their own guards. Hiroto with Hiashi, Neji with Hinata..."

"But, Tsunade-sama," said Shizune, "You just put Hyuuga Neji on a mission..."

"Oh?" Thought Tsunade, "So I did..." Then, a mischievous smile came to the Hokage's face.

"Tsunade-sama? What is that look for?"

"Shizune, I believe I know a way to keep Hyuuga Hinata protected and keep team seven out of trouble at the same time..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Fourteen OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **Like you can't guess what Tsunade's evil grin is about. XD

Yeesh, that was such an emo chapter, wasn't it? Don't worry, though, next one will be happier. Get ready to rock, Konoha... It's fun time, Lifethane-style!


	17. C15: The Best Laid Plans

**A/N: ** Some of you reviewers appear concerned over my lack of reviews. It has been suggested that perhaps this is the reason some people do not read this story. There's only one way that I know of to fix that, and it's completely out of my hands. :P **hint hint at all serious readers who have not reviewed**

Beyond that, I have nothing to say, and several of you are anxiously awaiting the chapter. Go forth!

**Chapter Fifteen: The Best Laid Plans**

The rain had not diminished in its fury when Shikamaru and his two new team members left the building. Seeing that it probably would not be diminished for quite a while, he gave a heavy sigh. Yet, no matter how troublesome moving through this massive downpour might be, there was still a mission to be commenced. Shikamaru resigned himself to his fate, and gave his orders.

"The enemy isn't likely to make a move in this weather," he said. "ANBU still patrol the area whatever the conditions are, and since all of the civilian population has retreated indoors, there is nobody to blend in with except other ninja, who will recognize them immediately as strangers."

Keisuke and Neji nodded. Both of them seemed completely untroubled by the rain; Neji could see just as well in any weather, and Keisuke didn't need any eyes. In addition, both of them had long ago become used to moving in wet conditions. Neither one complained, however, at being given leave; they had good stories to tell to their allies about the meeting that had just ended.

Shikamaru continued, "While it would be a good time to go hunting for them without arousing any suspicion, it's probable that they've sealed up all of their hiding holes against the rain as well as against intruders. Also, it's one of the few opportunities we will have to rest and prepare. And because I don't particularly like heavy rain, my first order is to return to your homes and gather all the equipment you think can be helpful. Return here in three hours for your next orders. Dismissed!"

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The interior of Keisuke's current dwelling was very spacey, as well as traditional. From where she sat, Haruka could see a small pond through the open double doors in the room. No rain came in through the doorway, for the wide open-air walkway outside them had a roof of its own. She and Sakura were sitting at the table in what must have been a family dining room before Keisuke had converted it into his conference room.

"Your injuries aren't serious, Haruka-san," said Sakura beside her. "The only thing that should even slow you down is the fake deathblow that Neji-san gave you, and even those effects should be gone in a few hours. Neji-san is very skilled."

Haruka nodded in solemn agreement. The doors behind them opened.

"You flatter me, Sakura-san. I am a Jounin, but I am young yet." came Neji's voice from the door. He and Keisuke entered the room one after another.

"Modesty is no necessity in my house, Neji," said Keisuke. "You are free to swagger or brag or show off as you choose."

Both of them exchanged solemn grinned at the reference to the arrogance of other Hyuuga; neither one was proud of that tendency of their relatives, but both knew that with all luck it would soon be changed.

Haruka, though, was having different thoughts: _Hyuuga Neji again, huh? _A feeling came to her that was completely alien—it was cold and bitter, and it gnawed at her guts. She watched as the two of them came to the table and sat down adjacent one another, across from Haruka and Sakura. _So he's found himself a new partner—the 'best Hyuuga fighter he's ever met.' Blind idiot. _

She tried to focus on the story of the meeting that Keisuke was telling, but little of it came through. Outside, she kept her composure and looked perfectly attentive. Inside, however, she was seething without any idea why she was seething.

Keisuke finished speaking, and now Neji began to talk—this time, of his uncle and his cousin. Haruka extricated herself from her thoughts and listened with genuine interest; her old friend-turned-enemy and his daughter, whom Haruka had taken a liking to, were more important subjects than her own inner maelstrom.

"It has come down to this," Neji concluded. "Hinata-sama must either cease to associate with Naruto except in the line of duty, or she must renounce her entitlement to the position of Clan Head, and become part of the Branch House."

"Neither option serves our purposes," said Keisuke, who had only just heard the story himself. "If she becomes Branch, then she can't exert any influence over the clan at all. If she can't see Naruto at all, then Naruto will be unable to help her, and her morale will drop significantly."

"But," Sakura put in helpfully, "She can still see him during missions. It's not a total loss..."

"However," Neji said, "Hokage-sama is not likely to send Naruto on many missions at this point. The Akatsuki have demonstrated that they are growing in power, and she does not want to risk him falling into their hands."

"If he's going on a mission at all, it'll have to be in or near Konoha, where Godaime can keep her eyes on him," Keisuke finished.

They sat in silence a moment, thinking on how to play the cards that they held.

Sakura suggested, "Do you think Hinata would be watched closely? If not, we could disguise either her or Naruto..."

"Hiashi-sama and the council will both undoubtedly be keeping close tabs on her," said Neji.

"I second that, Neji," agreed Keisuke. Haruka scowled.

Then Keisuke looked to her, and said, "Haruka, I know you have certain 'talents' that might help us here... got anything brewing in that overgrown brain of yours?"

_Oh, something's brewing, all right,_ she thought venomously. She fought down her inner turmoil and put on her best sadistic smile. "I might have a few ideas," she said.

Haruka saw Keisuke frown for a split moment, as if he'd sensed that all was not straight with her. However, it soon vanished, replaced by his usual confidence. "All right," he said, "I know you work your dark magic best on your own, so I'll leave it to you. Do what you can without being noticed."

Haruka nodded in acquiescence, for once not bothering to get him back for insulting her "overgrown brain."

"So," Keisuke continued, "Sakura, how much influence do you have over the Hokage? I know you have been her student—can you possibly influence the kinds of missions assigned to Naruto?"

Sakura answered, "It depends on a lot of things—the level of mission assigned, how lazy she's feeling on a given day, how much sake she has had—but it's been done before. I've done it..."

Keisuke was pleased. "Good!" he said. "If we could get Naruto a mission..."

"You don't have to, Keisuke!" cried a voice from above. Naruto swung into the room from the roof of the open-air walkway outside, landing in the doorway dripping wet.

"Sakura!" he beamed, apparently very happy, "Granny Tsunade wants to see us! We've finally got ourselves a mission!"

"Oh, uh... Really?" said Sakura. She was wondering what everyone else was: _How much of that conversation did he hear?_

Apparently, he had heard only the last little bits, and nothing about Keisuke's little conspiracy. "Yeah," he said, "Let's go! I'm tired of sitting around on my hands doing nothing important."

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief. Sakura rose from the table and went to join him.

"Naruto," said Keisuke, "Do you know where your mission is going to be?"

"Not yet," he said.

"You might have guessed already, but because of the Akatsuki, it'll probably be close to home."

Naruto's grin decreased slightly. "Yeah. But still, it's something to do!"

Keisuke's smile widened. "That it is. Listen, Neji and I will be working with Shikamaru in the places circled on Kakashi's map... I'm sure he's shown you the one I'm talking about."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

"If your mission takes you anywhere near there—which it could if it is related to this Sasuke character—watch out for us. We may be able to lend a hand when we're not too busy."

Naruto's face settled on an excitable variant of determination at the mention of Sasuke. "Sure, Keisuke," he said. "Ja ne!" He and Sakura left the room.

The three remaining sat in silence, waiting for them to get out of earshot.

Then Haruka asked, "Do you think it has anything to do with the Hyuuga? Or is it more likely to be about this Sasuke person?"

"There is no way to know," said Neji, "Until Naruto has received his orders and told us."

"We can only hope for the best," Keisuke said.

Another pause.

Finally, Keisuke rose from the table, and Neji followed suit. "Well," announced the blind man, "I'm as prepared as I'll ever be, I guess. Just need to head into town to pick up some fresh shuriken. What about you, Neji?"

"I will need to return to the Hyuuga estate. Much of my equipment is there."

"All right. Haruka, we'll be leaving. Feel free to come and go as you like." His back was to her as he and Neji walked to the door together. Haruka felt the twinge of that alien feeling coming on again.

Neji walked out, but Keisuke turned to face her a moment before following. "Don't overdo it," he said. "Use your dark gifts, but remember that we are dealing with young teenagers here. Keep your greater capacity for mischief in check, partner." He punctuated the last word almost excessively, and Haruka felt the maelstrom within her stall.

She put her cocky grin back on. "Not a problem, O Mighty Sightless One," she said with mock sarcasm. "I can handle myself."

Keisuke grinned widely. To him, she seemed back to normal. Then he turned and was gone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The wind and rain beat heavily upon Hinata as she trudged through the vacant streets of the village. Long ago, it had removed any sense of dryness or warmth from her, and her clothing sagged heavily around her with the accumulated water. Nobody saw her in this miserable state, and nobody came to help.

Hinata little cared about these facts. They were insignificant in comparison with the terrible cataclysm that thundered in her heart. She stood at crossroads, and each of the two paths that lay before her were equally dark, equally without appeal.

_Forsake my father,_ she thought, _forsake my family, and forsake leadership of the clan, or... forsake Naruto-kun. Forsake the man who gave back to me all those other things. Forsake the person that gave me myself._

She looked up to the black sky and let the blazing lightning dazzle her into temporary blindness. "How am I to make such a choice?" she said to the heavens.

Then her eyes readjusted, and she found that she had been sent an answer.

"Hinata-san," Keisuke said, "Whenever it seems that the impossible choice must be made, I have found only one method that produces effective results."

Hinata looked up to the taller man with a face nearly devoid of hope, as though no method in the world would dispel her grief. Yet, somehow found the strength to oblige him. "What method is that, Keisuke-san?"

The blind man smiled down upon her with rain-washed cheer.

"A hot meal, chilled booze, and a long, thorough discussion with a trusted friend. Come on... I know where we can get all three."

Despite the fact that she had come out into the storm seeking solitude, Hinata found herself following Naruto's "nii-san." It slowly dawned on her that she was rather cold and hungry, and that she was most certainly in need of good advice.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ah! Keisuke-san, welcome! And you, too, Hinata-chan!"

"Thank you, master. The usual table please, and my usual order. Actually, double that order for me, would you?"

"Of course! Right this way."

The owner of the small and well-kept tavern led Keisuke and Hinata back to a table in a solitary corner near a roaring fire. Keisuke discovered the cozy little place on his second day in Konoha, and had been coming here to eat at least once every other day since then. He'd made great friends already with several of the patrons and with the owner, who delighted in the stories that the blind man sometimes told and the dances he would perform when given enough good sake.

"Ano, Keisuke-san," said Hinata as the owner walked away to retrieve Keisuke's order, "I do not drink..."

"I'm not asking you to, child," said the blind man, happy to be out of the pelting rain and in his favorite seat by the fire. He stretched languidly in the chair, letting the heat wash over him and evaporate the water that soaked his clothes. "I'll take all the booze. There is plenty of water here for you to drink, and there are other beverages if you prefer them."

"No, water is perfectly fine," said Hinata.

The owner came back with Keisuke's drinks, and then the two sat in silence a while, letting the fire dry them and their clothes while they waited for the food to come. It came quickly; the staff had come to expect Keisuke's arrival and had the necessaries prepared in advance. Within twenty minutes, two plates of roast fowl were brought to the table, alongside rice and the soup of the day. All steaming hot.

"Enjoy!" chimed their waitress. They did; Hinata had had little to eat today, and Keisuke, like Naruto, was never one to refuse good food. They were two minutes into it when Keisuke set down his utensils, took a long swig from his drink, and began speaking again.

"So," he said, "Neji has told me what happened back home."

Hinata stopped eating, looked down at her plate in painful silence.

"I can guess what's going through your mind," continued Keisuke. "Your two greatest desires lie before you. Each one is behind a locked door, and you hold the master key that will open either one. Behind you, the floor upon which you stand crumbles away into the void of the past. You must enter a door, and sacrifice one of your desires to save the other. If you cannot choose a door quickly, then you yourself will fall into darkness."

He stared into the flames. Hinata continued to stare into her half-eaten meal.

"I can relate," said the blind man. Hinata's head came up, a question framed in her face. "Yes. I was once in a situation very like yours, long ago..."

The owner of the tavern made a show of cleaning glasses behind his counter, meanwhile cocking his ear to listen to what was sure to be another good story from his new regular patron.

Taking another drink, Keisuke relaxed back into his chair, and began his tale.

"I was a boy of thirteen, then. I lived in a valley in the Country of Stone, in a village ruled by a kindly elder man and his three sons. My father and I resided alone in a small house near the outskirts. By then, my mother had disappeared—left my father for another victim, no doubt—leaving us with very little to call our own.

"Because of this, my father was a bitter man. He had other reasons to be so bitter—he was a crippled shinobi, having lost his leg to war, and his only offspring was a blind shinobi-wannabe—but this reason was the final straw, the one that irrevocably broke his spirit. He spent his days drinking and grumbling and raging to all that would hear him of his troubles and the idiocy of those who still had all their limbs. The villagers and I did what we could for him, but no care would get him back on his feet, no kind words could coax him into functioning normally. At length, the villagers decided to leave him be. I, however, continued to stay with him and care for him, though I had been offered rooms in numerous other houses."

Hinata and the tavern owner, as well as a few other nearby diners, were listening attentively. This was not like any story the blind man had told in here before; it was a dark and sad tale, where all of his others had been humorous or light-hearted and jovial, telling of the misadventures of the illustrious Toad Sennin or the triumphs of the young in the face of adversity.

"I thought that with enough time and proper care, he would come around. So I waited, and then one day I was rewarded for my patience. My father came down with a terrible fever, and spent the night mumbling half-coherently about my mother, treachery, power, and revenge. 'Horrible dreams,' I thought, and prepared to care for him through a long and terrible illness. But when he awakened the next morning, he was a new man!"

Flames danced in the mirrors of Keisuke's sunglasses, and he set his drink down upon the table.

"He did what he had not done for months: he stood tall in the sunshine, embraced the light, he began to eat full meals again instead of nibbling on whatever he found lying about, and he zealously absorbed himself in reading and in religion—ordinary pastimes, rather than the piteous moping about and raging that he had occupied himself with before. I thought him to have changed for the better."

Keisuke shook his head, and his eyebrows slanted.

"I was a fool to ignore the signs that told me otherwise. I scrubbed away the cryptic seals as I would any other splotch of dirt on the floor and walls. I mopped up the blood as though it was nothing, had accidentally been spilled as my father clumsily wielded his kitchen knife against his evening meal. Foolishly I let him work his work, and waited on him like a faithful son... like nothing was wrong at all.

"Finally, he woke me in the middle of the night, and told me to make ready. When I asked him what for, this was his answer: 'For our vengeance, boy! All of the misfortune brought upon us will be undone tonight, in a single effort! I go to Gallows Hill, to call forth the being that will bring your bitch of a mother to her knees, and while he's at it, burn to a crisp the shinobi who took my leg, and all their lands and wealth and their health with them! I go to call the Rokubi!'

"I should not have been surprised, having been given countless signs. I had ignored them because I wanted to keep at least one of my parents, to retain at least some family. Yet now, he threatened to call forth a horrible demon, one that could savage villages with the twitch of a tail, just so that he could revenge himself upon a handful of people! Immediately, I knew that this was the reason that he had become so happy after his illness; he had seen in his dream that this was what he would do.

"For a long time, I sat in my bed, wondering what I would do. My childhood before my mother abandoned us had been happy, and I loved my father as much as any other boy would love his. I had cared for him in his most hopeless hour for that love. Yet I also loved my village, and I knew that allowing my father to call this beast would place it in danger.

"To sacrifice my father's love and save the villagers, or go with my father down his path of destruction... A choice that I could not bear to make. Yet now I was forced to make it. I thought long and hard, trusting to my father's disability to slow him and afford me the time I needed to think.

"At last, I decided to go to my father, attempt to convince him that his path was the wrong one. If he disbelieved, then I was resolved to side with him and hope that his wrath did not destroy our home, as well."

Keisuke paused a moment, seeming to relive the incident. His face flushed with anguish, and the whole tavern hung upon his words.

"My hesitancy nearly cost me my life. I arrived in time to hear the first roar of the Rokubi, and feel the huge chakra of the six-tailed monster as it raged down towards my home. Its breath was lightning, and it left destruction in its wake. I could hear the first screams of the dying, and I wished that I had eyes, so I could weep for the death of my home.

"And then I heard my father laughing. He stood at the top of Gallows Hill, exultant in his success. 'Do you understand what I have done?' he asked. 'Do you know the power that I control? With this, my revenge is assured, and then some... I will be master of the lands that once were the homes of my enemies. I will be the conqueror of all that stands in my way! The Rokubi is my sword, a sword against which there is no armor! And I did it by myself, no thanks to you, boy! You are indecisive, useless, weak!'

"The pain that I felt seared my soul. If I had been quicker to decide, had reached my father earlier, I might have persuaded him to cease his ambition of revenge. And if not, I would at least have kept my father's good faith. Now I had neither my home nor my father. I grieved sorely that night.

Yet through my grief, I knew that there was yet one thing I could do, and must do if I wanted to preserve myself, and save all that my father planned to destroy. I had had limited training in the shinobi arts, despite my father's insistence that it would be useless to a blind one such as myself. I moved swiftly and, drawing a kitchen knife that I had brought in my pack, I stabbed my father through the heart."

The room was deathly silent as Keisuke drained the last of his booze.

"Because of my hesitancy, I lost my father, and killed him by my own hand. Because I put my father before the village, the Rokubi transformed my home into the ruined waste that was known afterward as the Grave. Though I had ensured that it would not happen again, the damage caused was irreparable."

He stopped speaking abruptly, and returned to his food. It had cooled a bit, but was still warm enough to eat by his standards. Everyone else, however, kept staring at him. For a while, he seemed not to notice this, but eventually he looked up and glared around the room, the firelight playing on his black sunglasses like flames in the abyss.

"The story's over, people. You'd best get back to your meals before they cool to ice." What his glare said was, _I don't want to say any more. It hurts. Leave me alone._ Though the other patrons had plenty of questions to ask, they did what they were told. When angered, intoxicated, and in pain, a shinobi can be quite dangerous to people around him.

The owner pressed his luck, brought forth another drink in hopes that the blind man would loosen up. "No thank you, master," said Keisuke. "Any more and I think I shall become quite ridiculous." Thwarted, the master bowed and left them alone.

When he was certain that nobody was paying him any more attention, Keisuke turned to Hinata, and spoke quietly to her.

"My advice to you, Hinata-san," he said, "Is this: Go along with your father's rules for now. If you chose the other path, then you could never return to the Main House again. However, while walking this path, you are always free to change your mind. And as time passes, other options may become apparent to you."

He took another bite of meat, chewed and swallowed, then leaned in and whispered so that any Hyuuga spy would find it impossible to hear. "Also, let us not forget that you may still see him on missions. There will be hope, in those times, for mission priorities supersede the priorities of the clan. Always remember that you have allies—my friends and I will do all we can to make the limited time you have enjoyable, and work towards opening more doors to you."

Then he called out to the owner. "Master! The bill, please! I believe we have had enough."

After paying, Hinata followed Keisuke out of the tavern. They found that though the black clouds still hovered in the sky, the rain had ceased. Once outside and alone, Keisuke turned to her.

"Don't delay, Hinata-san," he said. "When you return home, immediately make it clear that you intend to side with your father, or disaster may find you in your house."

"Yes, Keisuke-san." Hinata didn't like the idea, but Keisuke's speech had given her some heart back; she, at least, would not have to kill her own father, and her clan would not destroy the village if she abided by their rules and waited for conditions to improve.

"Don't look so grim, child," he said to her, smiling. "I've got a feeling that your luck will improve soon. Don't ask me how I know... I just do."

Hinata smiled back at him. "Thank you, Keisuke-san. I hope you are right."

Keisuke nodded cheerily. "Well, I'll be off to join Shikamaru and Neji. Keep an eye out for us—we'll be sniffing around for Sound nin in the area." He waved good-bye, and leaped over a fence, moving swiftly towards the Hokage tower.

Hinata, now resolved to her course of action, began the trek back to the Hyuuga compound.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Morning greeted the Hyuuga house with obsidian skies and a black mood. Hinata's claim that the photographs had been planted in her bedroom had been grudgingly bought, but now she noticed that certain members of the clan avoided her whenever possible, and her father, though happy that she had chosen to do the honorable thing and side with him, was undeniably under heavy stress. Hinata herself was not in the best of moods; she had hope, but the present situation was not at all desirable.

Everywhere she went in the house, she felt the presence of other Hyuuga watching her. They stayed with her through her morning practice, breakfast, and meditation, dogging her in the hope or fear that she had been lying the night before.

Hinata was relieved when she left the house and felt their presence begin to fade. Perhaps one or two still followed her, but they were very skilled if they did; she could pick up no trace of them. This gave her some comfort.

Then her comfort was blown away as Naruto landed before her.

OoOoOoOoO

Haruka hid Hinata's two unconscious pursuers in a back alley, covering them with garbage from a nearby dumpster. Among them she recognized the leader of the capture team from the previous day. Giving him one last good kick, she returned to watching Hinata—who, she saw, had just been accosted by Naruto.

"Ah, N-Naruto-kun," started Hinata, "Good morning..." Haruka could see she was anxious to get away, her father's ultimatum fresh in her mind. Yet, the older Hyuuga could also see that she wouldn't be anywhere else, if she had her say. Unfortunately, both Hyuuga women knew, she didn't.

"Hey, Hinata," greeted the blond shinobi, standing over her and beaming. "I'm glad you finally came out of your house. I've been waiting out here all morning for you. Glad to know your dad didn't kill you for showing up late."

"Ah... yes, Naruto-kun. I'm quite fine. I-I'd better be going..."

"Oh?" questioned Naruto, "Where are we going?

Haruka, who had dressed herself casually and covered her head to avoid recognition, moved out from her hiding place and casually strolled towards the pair, with Naruto's back to her. Hinata's foot was in the perfect place; if she didn't move, Haruka could 'accidentally' trip her, causing her to fall forward into the blond's waiting arms...

"Ano..." said Hinata, "I'm afraid that I must go alone, Naruto-kun. I appreciate your offer of company, but..."

Haruka was almost in range. Ten more paces and she'd have it...

"No buts, Hinata. If it's anywhere but your house, I'm following you there. Granny Tsunade's orders."

Haruka, who'd been in the middle of executing her foot-sweep, halted the attack too late to stop her forward momentum, and stumbled forward. "Ah... excuse me!" She said, altering her voice to an un-Haruka-like pitch and scurrying off to find a new observation post.

Hinata, once she had taken her eyes off Haruka, asked, "Tsunade-sama's orders?"

"Yup!" confirmed Naruto, smiling with the brightness of the sun that hid behind the black clouds.

"T-then..." Hinata said, her face dawning in amazed comprehension, "Then it's... it's a..."

"A mission! I'm your personal guard while Neji is on his other mission." finished Naruto, blazing with happiness. "About time, too... I've been waiting forever for her to put me to use!"

Hinata's mood shifted from amazement, to unbelief, to barely containable joy. Silently, she thanked every god whose name she knew, thanked her ancestors for granting her this opportunity. _And thank you, Keisuke,_ she thought, _for sharing your wisdom with me. Naruto-kun really knows how to choose his friends._

From the shadows, Haruka observed all of this with extreme satisfaction. This "mission" of Naruto's was a gold mine of opportunities, just waiting for her to capitalize on them. _With this, pretty much the only thing I can't do is marry them,_ she thought. _Keisuke, you had better be grateful, you blind bastard. We'll see who is the 'best Hyuuga fighter you've met' when I'm through... there are more ways to fight than with hands and feet and steel._

She rose up to stand tall on the roof she had been lying on, watching the two of them head off to wherever Hinata was leading him. Most likely, it was to her team's practice. "Don't think that's all you'll be doing today, though, little ones," she said, her "Sadist's Glow" lighting up her features. "Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, I didn't think I'd ever be doing this to you. But on my honor, both of you must become my playthings while this mission lasts. It is for your future, so please do not hold it against me... As Keisuke says, 'being manipulated isn't bad as long as it feels good.'"

Lightning flashed above her, accentuating her determination and the anticipatory enjoyment of the games to come.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Fifteen OoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** Not as fun as I professed, I admit, but we're set up for an interesting chapter next time...


	18. C16: Manipulation Isn't All Bad

**A/N: **I apologize for the time it took to get this chapter out. I'm in the midst of setting up my new computer and had other things to accomplish before I continued writing.

Now, where were we...?

**Chapter Sixteen: Manipulation Isn't All Bad  
**

Naruto was satisfied with his new mission.

This fact seemed odd to him. Normally, Konoha's loudest and most surprising ninja enjoyed fast-paced, action-packed, and dangerous assignments that sated his hunger for adventure and got him home in time to sate his hunger for ramen. Now his duty encompassed neither adventure nor ramen; he was to follow his untalkative charge wherever she went outside of her home, avoiding combat where necessary (not even to practice with her teammates, for Tsunade insisted that he must be in condition to fight when his charge was not), and camp near her front gate, going nowhere—including Ichiraku Ramen—until she emerged again. By all accounts, he should have been bored out of his mind.

Yet he wasn't. In Hinata's presence, he found himself with a bountiful pool of activities to occupy himself with. Naruto began to think that he would never tire of watching the girl fight, his eyes drinking in every graceful step, every subtle and deadly strike. During breaks in her training he invested a considerable amount of time endeavoring to make her laugh and smile, which proved both easy and gratifying to do. When he roused himself to go and patrol the area around the practice field, he expended pent up energy in flashy acrobatics and going out of his way to look extra-alert, using every opportunity to show off.

And when he could not do these things, Naruto found that he could keep himself busy with just himself and his thoughts, something that he'd always had trouble doing in the past. Staggering amounts of thoughts ran through his mind all at once, all of them related, all on a different place of the emotional spectrum.

For example, there was awe: _Damn, she's really developed while I was gone. I haven't seen anyone move like that, not even Haruka nee-chan on her best day! And then there's the more physical developments..._

Panic: _Huh! How can I be thinking that about her now! I never used to before. Besides, I never really knew her that well even three years ago, we barely spoke at all!_

Contentedness: _S'all right. Ill get to know her plenty well on this mission. Just chill for now and watch the show._

Unease: _Is it all right to watch that closely? No matter how hard I try to stop them, my eyes eventually wander where they aren't supposed to._

Rebellion: _Since when do I give a shit about what I'm supposed to be doing and what I'm not supposed to? My very existence breaks rules in the minds of half the village! _

Hopefulness: _ Besides that, she sure seems to smile at me a lot... maybe she knows I'm looking, and doesn't care? Maybe it's what she wants?_

Pessimism: _As if. Nobody gives a damn about me or who I look at, unless I'm looking at them, which is when they're afraid. It's been that way since way before I left. Sakura is living proof; I can make friends, but I'm too block-headed and loud to go beyond that, and the old folks would discourage their daughters getting close to the Kyuubi kid anyway._

Rationalization: _But I can't draw a conclusion from just one example. Sakura was only the first try... there are tons more opportunities in the world. Like Hinata._

Uncertainty: _Am I sure that I want to try, though? It could be that I just like how she looks now, after all this time away. That's what made me try for Sakura._

All these things and more ran rampant in his head until he found something else to do, and then returned when the distraction was over. Fortunately, he found plenty of distractions, so the headache-inducing train of thought was allowed little time to move forward, being constantly derailed. Therefore, Naruto was largely undaunted and fulfilled his mission duty efficiently.

Late afternoon came, bringing with it a light rain and an end to team 8's practice session. After waving a quick goodbye to Kiba and Shino, Naruto and Hinata made their way into the village, Hinata laughing lightheartedly as Naruto attempted to dodge raindrops. She didn't blame him for wanting to move around a little—he certainly wasn't getting much exercise just watching from the sidelines—and she was fond of his humorous antics.

Inside, Hinata had found her center again. She had lost it since the return of the loud, confident, heroic blond, having been first seized with powerful desire to impress him, then rendered momentarily overconfident (for her) and complacent in the rush of happiness, and most recently ground to pieces by her father's ultimatum. With Keisuke's counsel and Naruto's new assignment, she had recovered her hope, but she knew what the price would be to keep that hope alive. Therefore she enjoyed his company while she could, and held faith that circumstances would improve, but she did not plan to push her luck, knowing the consequences of going past a "professional" relationship.

Only one thing concerned her. She had sworn that she would help Naruto and Sakura to find their lost teammate, and the fact that Tsunade had decreed that she needed constant protection and chosen Naruto set back the search effort, having tied Naruto up in other matters. She might have requested another guard, but her happiness at having an excuse to spend time with him had been precedent in her mind until it was too late to protest.

This nagged at her mind, but she did not see how it would help to tell anyone, and Naruto didn't seem to mind. She kept quiet.

Thusly, the two teenagers began moving towards the Hyuuga compound, both keeping their secrets, both keeping their greater desires in check, but in good spirits regardless. The day had been pleasant and free of chaos.

An outside force had other ideas. Lack of chaos, to her, was directly related to lack of progress. This was especially true because of the nature of her opponents, who fought for dominance in this whole game by laying down order—the opposite of chaos. Naruto, while normally a harbinger of chaos, was ineffectual, his chaos turned for the moment into himself. It was up to her to inject third-party chaos into the situation and turn things back in her favor.

It is unsurprising, considering the determination of this force, that the two teenagers' orderly march to Hinata's home suffered a change in destination.

Naruto suddenly stopped trying to evade the rainwater and stared upwards in astonishment. Beside him, Hinata halted and followed his gaze to see what had caught his attention. Her eyes fell upon a gigantic billboard that had most certainly not been present when they had left that morning. It was gaily colored and sported an incredibly tasty-looking bowl of ramen. Below this glorious image was the caption: **NEW AND POWERFUL FLAVOR! ICHIRAKU RAMEN**

"Whoa!" exclaimed Naruto, having never seen ramen of that kind in his life. "That... looks awesome! I have to remember to try that kind once this mission is over."

Hinata found the sign curious. She recognized the flavor of ramen on display, but she knew for a fact that it had been first served over three months ago; she herself had eaten that first serving. _Why is he advertising that flavor now?_ She wondered. _Did he come up with another new flavor and have the wrong kind put on display?_

Naruto's stomach broke her out of her wondering by calling attention to itself rather loudly. Hinata noticed a grimace on the blond's face. It suddenly came to her that he must be having little time to get food, being forced to remain with her when she was out of the house and in the house's general vicinity when she wasn't. Her assessment was correct; the poor boy was starved.

"Ano, Naruto-kun?" she started gently, "You haven't eaten anything in a while, have you?"

"Nah, I had breakfast," he said. _If you can call it that,_ he thought bitterly. Living on insects and other things that live in trees was life-sustaining, as Keisuke and Jiraiya both taught, but it was nowhere near enjoyable.

"Ah, I see," said Hinata, "Then, you should go and eat. You won't be able to function properly if you aren't well-fed."

"Huh?" Naruto said, gawking at her. He could have sworn that he had just told her that he'd had food today, not that he hadn't. Maybe he had thought that last bit aloud? He pondered over it a while, then shrugged it off.

"But, Hinata, I can't leave you to walk back alone. My orders are to guard you, and there's no way I'm going to abandon the mission. I gave my word by accepting the mission, and I'll keep it." Naruto's stomach protested, but he fought it down. Not many things could dissuade him from his ramen, but his integrity—and Hinata—were worth it.

Hinata thought this over. She knew that he was doing the right thing for the mission by getting her home, where she would be safest. Also, going right home would not arouse any suspicion among her Clan that she was not holding to the terms of Hiashi's decree. Yet, she worried for Naruto, who obviously felt like he was going to waste away—he'd even said that he'd skipped breakfast—without his precious ramen.

She came to the conclusion that allowing Naruto to eat was the best course. If her family did suspect, she could make the excuse that she was going to meals with him in order to keep her bodyguard in fighting shape.

"Naruto-kun," she said, her face growing slightly warm at the prospect of dining with him, "We... if you like, I-I can accompany you..."

He was in her face immediately. "Really?" he asked. His eyes were wide with hope.

"Ah... yes."

"All right!" the boy leaped two feet in the air, ecstatic at his good fortune. "If you're there with me, then I'm not hurting the mission. You're really nice, Hinata! Thanks!"

Flushing at the compliment and smiling, Hinata followed him as he strode happily down the street that led to his favorite restaurant.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Welcome, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan!" said Haruka.

"Yo, Ayame nee-chan!" said Naruto, grinning cheerfully. "Old man, let me have some of that new flavor I've been hearing about! It sounds great!"

"Certainly, Naruto! Just a few minutes... what about you, Hinata-chan?"

"I... I'll have the same. Thank you, Teuchi-san."

Haruka was pleased with her handiwork. The genjutsu to create the enormous sign had been no trouble, but timing the illusion to alter what Hinata was hearing out of the boy had proven troublesome. She'd nailed it perfectly, however, and they had come to Ichiraku forthwith.

She stood before them now in the guise of Ichiraku Teuchi's daughter, Ayame. The true Ayame slept peacefully underneath her own bed, having been skillfully drugged and hidden while her father was busy with serving his customers. The old man had been convinced entirely that his daughter had merely been on bathroom break when Haruka returned.

The disguised Hyuuga took some time to assess the situation. She had dispatched two of Hinata's tails, both of them Hyuuga Branch that Neji had been kind enough to identify as Hiashi loyalists. Agents of the Advisory Council could still be nearby, but Haruka did not detect them, and would be able to if they decided to move. Both teenagers had been successfully lured into the ramen restaurant, where they were vulnerable to her machinations while relatively safe from outside interference, since Neji had volunteered to be on the lookout for her while carrying out his mission in that area.

Haruka felt a momentary pang of jealousy. She would rather have been the one combing the village, earning her keep in her new home, and chiding Keisuke for his bumbling idiocy. Yet she cast it aside; Neji and Shikamaru were perfectly capable of filling that role, but only she—Haruka—had what Keisuke called the "dark gifts" which would make the manipulation of these children not only possible, but fruitful.

Her mind back on the present, Haruka remembered that the two were about to share their first unsupervised meal together. She knew that she couldn't tamper with the food, as Teuchi was seeing to the preparation of his favorite guests' meals fully by himself, but there were other ways to take advantage of mealtimes. She watched, she cleaned dishes, and waited.

Finally, Ichiraku's newest creation made its way to the table where Naruto and Hinata sat. The blond stared hungrily and breathed in the delicious smell.

"Oh, it's even better-looking in reality!" he exclaimed.

"Ano, might it not seem better because you are able to smell it as well as see it?" Hinata suggested.

"Nah. For a ramen fanatic like me, the real deal always looks better than an illustration, no matter what it smells like. Although, I gotta admit it does smell really good, too."

Haruka saw an opportunity, performed a few silent hand seals beneath the counter. To Naruto's statement, she added two words through genjutsu: _"Like you, Hinata."_

_Direct hit, _Haruka thought, watching Hinata's face go crimson. Naruto was too intent on his food to notice his companion's reaction, which was just as well, for he might have been confused. Hinata did not say anything, but stared into her bowl until she overcame herself and was able to eat.

Naruto had eaten only a single mouthful before he burst out with appreciation. "Incredible!" he said. "Better than the last new flavor I tried, and I thought that one would never be beaten."

Hinata, still tinted pink, brought her head back up. "I'm glad that you enjoy it, Naruto-kun. I'll pay for more, if... if you like..." she trailed off.

Haruka again edited in her own touch: _"Such a muscular, handsome body shouldn't be starved."_

Another success. Naruto was dumbstruck for a moment, his mouth agape, his eyes boring into his companion, his next mouthful dangling from his chopsticks before him. Finally, he recovered himself and gulped it down, then raised his free hand to scratch his head. A sheepish grin spread over his face.

"Hehe... thanks..." he said, at a loss for any other response to the compliment.

Hinata, thinking he was thanking her for the food, said, "You're very welcome, Naruto-kun," and gave a small smile of her own. She was having an excellent time, Haruka could tell; moving up to being complimented on her good grooming habits and sharing a meal with him on the same day.

_And now that their minds are both going in the right direction..._ Haruka arranged for Ichiraku Teuchi to become suddenly and incapacitatingly tired by tapping a few specific pressure points as she accidentally stumbled into him.

"Ah, Ayame," he said, laying his big hand on her shoulder, "Your father is exhausted. Would you close up the shop for me? Naruto-kun may finish his ramen and there is more prepared for him under the counter when he calls for it, but I cannot serve anyone else today."

"Of course, Otou-san," Haruka said, eager smile on her lips. She helped him wobble up the stairs to his room, and watched him collapse onto his bed. Then, satisfied, she went to close the door to the shop.

Sure enough, Naruto had already finished his first bowl and was ready for the second. Haruka grabbed one of the three that were waiting below the counter and brought it over, then headed into the back of the kitchen. She spent a few moments looking about, and then located her prize. The maniacal grin that characterized the "Sadist's Glow" crossed the face of Ayame, and Haruka poured a glass.

She was just in time, for soon after, the call came from the lobby: "Ayame nee-chan! Water, please!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Eighteen hours into the search, the team had found nothing.

Keisuke knew that this was not because there was nothing to find, but still he could not stop himself from being frustrated; there were many places he would rather be, and he was anxious to hear of the developments with Naruto. However much he wanted it to end quickly, it didn't seem that it was going to.

At last, Keisuke finished sweeping his section of the zone around the Hokage tower, and moved off to find Shikamaru and take his rest. He was glad to do so; he'd had a long day with no successes, and sleep was high on his priority list.

Alas, Murphy's Law forbade his rest today. As he moved, Keisuke became aware of a presence at his back. It was stealthy and clever, vanishing from his perception when he ceased moving, and doubtless would have fooled anyone below Jounin level in ninjutsu. It had even fooled Keisuke for eighteen hours. But now that Keisuke was not distracted by his mission, his fifth sense picked up the follower easily.

Displeased, the blind man picked up his pace. It could be one of the Hyuuga behind him, but it could also be an agent of the hidden enemy, come to find out who was looking for them. Either way, he would have to let one of his teammates know. Staying in the open to avoid ambush, Keisuke hoped to find Shikamaru quickly and have the nuisance dealt with.

As he passed through the next search zone, however, it was not Shikamaru he found, but Neji. Deciding that this was better than nothing, Keisuke hailed the young Hyuuga genius.

"Keisuke-san, are you finished with your area?" asked Neji.

"With my section of it, yes," came the reply. "I think my radio's faulty... I can't get a hold of anyone at all. I was going to call Shikamaru to report off for my break, but... you know, bad luck found me." He jerked his hand up to the earpiece of his radio, his thumb pointing behind him. Neji recognized the code phrase for "Trouble" and the hand gesture for "I'm being tailed."

"I'll radio him for you. Can I offer you some insect repellent? That bite on your arm looks painful," he replied, using the code phrase for "Want me to help?"

Keisuke nodded. "I'd appreciate it. Do you have the variety that works against Eye-Gouging Gnats?" This variety of bug, aside from being fictional, represented a foe that defeated the senses and was the code for "Enemy Type: Unknown."

"I might," said Neji. "I'll finish up my sweep, and then leave you a can on your doorstep as I return home. I hope that bite does not trouble you greatly."

They exchanged silent nods and moved off in opposite directions.

Keisuke moved first in the direction of his house, then deviated, moving off down a dark back alley. He felt the presence mark his every move. At last, Keisuke thought it was safe enough, and began to run. He did not run extremely fast, but allowed the presence to keep up. He twisted down several more shadowed alleyways, giving the illusion that he was trying to lose the tail when in reality he was trying to draw it out.

When it seemed that the tail was not going to reveal itself, Keisuke decided that he would have to smoke the enemy out. He waited until he had a good approximation of the presence's location, trajectory, and speed, then whipped around and flung four shuriken into its roughly estimated path. The resulting yowl of pain told Keisuke that one of them had hit home, an unexpected success.

His enemy stopped and located by sound, Keisuke took the opportunity to seize him. "Neji, do it now!" he called.

Neji emerged from his own stealth and struck like a bullet. Tenketsus in the man's shoulders and legs were struck in a split second, sealing chakra to them. There would be no fleeing or resisting for this spy. He was captured.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

At the moment when Keisuke was grappling with his captive, his partner was spending her time idly behind the counter at Ichiraku Ramen, hoping for satisfactory results and growing more frustrated by the minute. Haruka had hoped that getting Naruto plastered would loosen him up, bring forth the natural chaos that so often altered circumstances around him.

At least, that was what had happened the last time he had been drunk; the resulting calamity had transformed Keisuke and Haruka and the entire roomful of diners from weary travelers into a roaring and guffawing, merry party that lasted through the night until both Naruto and his illustrious sensei, Jiraiya, had at last fallen asleep at seven in the morning, exhausted from their night of wild and impulsive buffoonery. During that night, words had flown from the young ninja's mouth that would have been perfectly happy to stay hidden comfortably away in the recesses of his brain. Recalling that instance, the Hyuuga outcast planned to recreate the experience while the younger Hyuuga was listening.

Things were not going as planned, however. Haruka's wish to have Naruto sing out secrets like a happy canary was answered, but she had forgotten to stipulate to the god of wish-granting that the secrets should have something to do with Hinata. Infuriatingly, the words that slushed out from between mouthfuls of ramen concerned the entire range of conversational topics _excluding_ Hinata. Though Hinata seemed to find it interesting that Naruto had once kicked Ero-Sennin so hard that he'd been perfectly capable of walking in any direction except forward and doubtless was surprised to be told that Naruto was in possession of the only recording of Uchiha Sasuke running face-first into a brick wall and couldn't quite believe that Aburame Shino had once pranced around at a funeral spouting nonsense about a "Gold-Sniffing Fox," Haruka was not so entertained.

While every moment the kids were having fun together was a plus, the outcast had something to prove and was in a hurry to triumph. At one point she had been sorely, sorely tempted to make use of a mild aphrodisiac, but (perhaps thankfully) Keisuke's warning managed to find its way through to her consciousness: "_Keep your greater capacity for mischief in check, partner._"

_Oh, the fun that I could have had, were it not for you nagging at the reins of my conscience, _she thought. _Cursed be the day I found you. _

She looked to the pair again. Naruto was still clowning, Hinata still laughing, the ramen still being eaten in between. One objective, at least, had been accomplished; Naruto was in very high spirits, and the chains of inner struggle that had shackled his chaos were rusted to the point of breaking. One good tug would snap them off, but Haruka could not be the one to do it, since she had interjected too much already with her illusionary technique. If most of the exchange came from an outside source rather than the two of them, then any happy situation that developed would be meaningless, a false good time produced by foreign means. Haruka had to find a way to make one of them get the ball rolling back in the right direction.

Watching for a moment, she found one. Hinata, being sober (Haruka didn't want to risk the intelligent girl suspecting outside involvement or send the girl home tipsy to a suspicious family), had not fully been divested of her cares. Haruka could see in the young Hyuuga's eyes that she had something on her mind.

An idea formed in the outcast's head. The Hyuuga taught that a strong flow of chakra was directly related to the overall productiveness of a human being. This concept applied to every aspect of human functionality, including the physical, the mental, the spiritual, and the social. While most Hyuuga chose to emphasize the fact that this meant one could cripple an enemy by shutting off chakra flow, and trained themselves accordingly, Haruka had given her personal development a double focus—learning to cripple through stopping flow, and learning to enhance by increasing it. This made her a rarity in the clan.

Keisuke liked to say, every now and then, that chance favored the prepared mind. Haruka, not wanting to completely agree with him but not placing herself in direct opposition, either, adapted it to her own version: Chance favors the open-minded. However one chose to say it, Haruka was one of the few among her brethren to see this wisdom at an early age, and now was going to benefit from it.

She brought up the fourth and final bowl for Naruto to polish off, and skillfully tripped herself over a leg of Hinata's chair. As she grabbed for the wooden back of the chair to catch herself, her flailing hand made a detour to the back of Hinata's neck, poking a less-used tenketsu there. Hinata jerked in her seat, and for a moment the older Hyuuga feared that her maneuver had been too bluntly precise, that she had been discovered. Fortunately, however, the ramen was saved to Naruto's great happiness and Hinata relaxed, to Haruka's great relief.

"Watch yourself there, Ayame nee-chan," said Naruto, rising to help her up and nearly falling over the seat himself.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Haruka/Ayame said, smiling appreciatively.

She hurried back behind the counter and into the kitchen among the dirty dishes, letting the water run to give the impression that she was cleaning. Haruka listened just out of the doorway to the lobby, hoping that her little tap had done its work. If it had, then Hinata would be finding herself energized, light, and more easily motivated. Granted, the aftermath might not have been as entertaining as that produced by administration of the aphrodisiac, but Haruka would have to settle for it or Keisuke would be lecturing her in her head for days, boring her to tears.

Eventually, the desired results were achieved. Naruto finished his ramen, gave one last drunken rant about how great it was—mangling many words in the process and leaving dents in the table with his overexpressive hand gestures—and thanked Hinata profusely for allowing him to have it.

Hinata replied as Haruka had hoped, not settling for a mere "you're welcome," but speaking of what troubled her mind.

"Naruto-kun," she began, "I'm sorry. I know you would rather be somewhere else right now, looking for your teammate, Uchiha-san. I could have insisted on a different bodyguard, freed you to keep searching..."

"Aw, dun worry 'bout it!" said Naruto, lounging back in the chair and patting his sated gut. "There's lots worse missions I could've got 'sides this one! 'Sides, I can still look fer the bastard 's long as you decide that's where we're going!"

Hinata was pleased that Naruto was happy with his mission, but continued unimpeded. "I'm afraid that I... won't be able to help you. My father, he... um..." This was the difficult part. How was she to explain her father's ultimatum without giving anything away?

"He... does not want me to do anything out of the ordinary again, after I went with you to the laboratory. Part of it is because of the danger, and part of it is because... well, my father really does not like you, Naruto-kun." Her face was dark as she finished. She had not lied, but she hadn't exactly given any great detail as to _why_ Hiashi hated him.

Naruto filled in the blank. "It's the damn fox's fault!" he bellowed. "Tha's all the old timers think o' me!" His face was red with alcohol-enhanced anger as he dropped his eyes towards his navel, where was written the seal that kept the fox chained.

This wasn't what Haruka had been expecting. However, in her present position, she could do nothing without risking her cover, and she most certainly didn't want to let on to either teenager that she had been playing them.

"Demon brat, Kyuubi kid, damned fox... ev'ry one o' those senile bastards can't see anything but the damn fox!" Naruto rose from the table banging his glass down upon it in fury. His other hand clutched at his abdomen, knotting the shirt there as though the fingers yearned to seize the Kyuubi within and rip it out.

Hinata could see that a storm was brewing in the object of her affections. She knew the look in his eyes, the one of feral rage that he'd had when he rose from the dead to take vengeance against Hiroto. She had no desire to meet the creature within him again. More than that, she was concerned for the blond, and she could not sit on the side and let him be consumed by fury at her father, a fury that would do him more harm than good. She also got to her feet.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Aw, crap," he said. He appeared to have forgotten for the moment that he was in Hinata's company. His eyes lost their feral gleam and grew wide with fear. One of his friends, who had trusted in him, had just found out that he was Kyuubi's container. "You... you weren't s'posed to know that... damn my mouth..."

Thankful that his anger was gone, Hinata now felt relieved that all she had left to dispel was the fear of rejection... a fear that she was very intimately acquainted with and was glad to remove from another person.

"It's all right, Naruto-kun," she said. For some reason, she was feeling less and less inhibited by her natural shyness today. It was still there, a presence in her mind, but she had power over it. She moved to embrace him, adding physical affirmation to her verbal reassurance. "I already knew."

Naruto was completely dumbfounded. He had been shocked by her actions on the first evening he walked back to the village with her after practice, but this was something else entirely. Was this really the same girl who, three years ago, had been unable to so much as touch him without being in danger of losing consciousness? Her face was very pink at the moment, true, but his sluggish mind was having trouble registering that as a valid identifying trait.

Then her words came through to his understanding. "Oh..." he said, "You... you did?"

"Yes. Sakura-chan told me."

"She did, huh?" It slipped his mind that he hadn't even known that Sakura knew. His mind was preoccupied with how nice it felt being pressed this close to the Hyuuga girl. The voices in his mind that had been bothering him about this earlier—namely Panic, Unease, Pessimism, and Uncertainty—were drowned out by the booze he'd been slipped. They said nothing, and neither did he.

Hinata, for her part, had many things to say—that she didn't care what anyone else said, that she knew he was a good human being, that she had seen that he was stronger than the demon within—but her words were choked off as she was also enjoying the hug. The rippling musculature that she'd glimpsed in the first practice he had attended and the images handed to her by Haruka did much justice to how they felt pressed against her. She was bewildered by the fact that she'd been able to actually do it and not lose her mind. The repressed shyness in the recesses of her mind screamed danger, but something had enabled her to overpower it without real difficulty.

Lost in their respective thoughts, neither said anything for several seconds. Haruka, looking through the walls, was astonished that her ploy had worked so well. This was exactly what she had been looking for. It was a shame that Keisuke was not there to witness her great handiwork...

_Ah, but there's always technology to substitute for him,_ she thought. Walking out to the lobby, she called, "I'm going to close up!"

Naruto attempted to turn and look at the sudden noise, forgetting that he had an attachment. The result was a drunken Naruto on the floor with a dazed-looking Hinata laying on top of him.

_Even better! _Haruka chortled inwardly, reveling in her success. While the two of them were still having difficulty with realizing where they were, a camera clicked away unnoticed for two or three seconds.

Finally, Hinata's shyness reasserted its dominance, and she leaped off of Naruto as though he were on fire. This was just as well, for Sakura walked into the ramen restaurant at that precise moment.

"Sheesh," said the pink-haired girl, "I thought I'd never get away from her. Hinata-chan, your younger sister sure knows how to be a nuisance to her bodyguards. Why couldn't Tsunade-sama have let the Hyuuga protect their own people, like she wants? That way we wouldn't have to listen to her compla... Naruto? What are you doing on the floor?"

Sakura received no answer. Naruto was unconscious.

"Aw, what the hell!" Sakura exclaimed. "Don't tell me that after all that, I have to lug his ramen-loaded carcass back to his tent..."

Hinata had recovered herself, and was able to speak in Naruto's defense. "Please, Sakura-chan. He was very bored today, and exercised extensively to entertain himself. And he's just had his first meal in almost a day, so you can imagine how he overcompensated..."

"That sounds just like him, all right," sighed Sakura. "Well, there's no helping it, I guess. Want to help me carry him again?"

"Go ahead, Sakura-chan," Hinata said. "I'll join you after I pay the bill."

Sakura huffed, not anticipating a fun journey home. "All right." Grabbing Naruto roughly by his legs, she hauled him out of the door. Outside, Hinata heard her exclaim, "Geez, Naruto! How much can one guy eat?"

"Considering that it's Naruto-kun," commented Haruka/Ayame as she turned to leave, "There's probably no limit."

"Haruka."

The disguised Hyuuga stopped in mid-stride. This wasn't good, she had to think up some excuse...

"I know that you want to help me," said Hinata, "And your advice to me was valuable. I appreciate the care you try to give me. But I want to do things my own way, and you are putting yourself at risk by defying the council and my father. Please do not interfere any more."

Haruka was at a loss for words for a moment. The way that Hinata had spoken to her was not decidedly unlike her, but there was something about it that felt alien to her. After a moment, she realized that this was what it felt like to be reprimanded by her leader; it was gentle and genuinely caring, as characterized the Hinata that Haruka knew, but the words had the force of law.

In all her life, Haruka had never truly sworn allegiance to any leader. She had thought that all leaders found themselves inevitably corrupted in some way, or else could not keep control of all their subjects and fell to unhappy mobs. Yet, she found that she had never heard a command spoken by such a pure voice. She could not defy Hinata, did not even want to defy her, and could see no reason why anyone would want to. She inclined her head.

"As you wish, Hinata."

_So this is what it's like to serve under Hyuuga Hinata. The next head of the Hyuuga Clan..._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I know this man," said Neji. "He is Captain Hiroto's personal aide."

Keisuke had removed his sunglasses and was presently standing with one leg on the captive's chest with his body lit up by his flaming seal. When he spoke, his voice had the malice of the demons of lore. He took special care to look and sound menacing partially because he was annoyed at having his sleep time cut into, and partially to help scare as much information as possible out of the captive Hyuuga.

"Hiroto," said Keisuke, shooting an acidic look at the prisoner. "Isn't that the name of the one who Naruto thrashed not long ago?"

"It is," replied Neji.

"Does he serve the council, or is he in Hiashi's pocket?"

Neji pondered a moment. "I would like to think that he is loyal to Hiashi-sama. He has always faithfully obeyed his commands. But Captain Hiroto is well-known for his tendency to bypass regulations and do things by his own rules; I cannot say for sure that he is completely in anyone's camp."

"Hmph," Keisuke grunted. He looked down at his feet. "What about you, little boy? Anything to say on your master's behalf?"

The young Hyuuga on the ground was not comfortable in the presence of the eyeless shinobi. The empty sockets stared at him, seeming to draw him into their emptiness. The flames that crackled from the shining red seal written into his skin lit the alleyway with flickering, baleful light, and their heat burned his soul. The voice was full of contempt, giving him the impression that Keisuke had half a mind to murder him where he lay and would do it if he didn't get anything useful from him.

To his credit, the young man's voice was admirably steady in the face of all this, and he did not tremble. However, his unease was blatantly apparent. "Captain Hiroto does serve Hiashi-sama humbly and without question. It is true that he believes some things ought to be done differently than Hiashi-sama likes to do them, but he knows that it is not his place to dispute such matters."

"I like this guy," Keisuke said to Neji. "Not the sniveling worm I expected."

"Is that how you have come to view the Hyuuga, sir?" questioned the prisoner.

Keisuke thought for a second. He often wondered himself what he thought of the Hyuuga these days. More and more of them were earning his respect, beginning with Hinata and Haruka, then Neji, and now this young man.

"Not all," he admitted. "But I certainly have trouble making the distinction between good Hyuuga and bad at first meeting. I'm not terribly good at reading people until I hear them speak, you see."

A moment of quiet, then the questions continued. "What purpose were you following me for, spy? Answer truthfully, or I may decide that my liking of you was misplaced." Keisuke turned up the fire for added effect.

Oppressed by the heat, the young Hyuuga complied. "Captain Hiroto wished me to observe you, specifically the manner in which you use your Rokujuuyon Reiude in a variety of situations."

"So Hiashi wants to know how to get around the Ghostly Arms, eh? I thought he would want to do his homework sooner or later..."

"Actually, sir," said the captive, "Captain Hiroto is not acting on Hiash-sama's orders in this project."

"Are you certain?" asked Neji, kneeling down to peer into the man's eyes.

The captive's eyes betrayed no lies. "I am, Neji-sempai. Before I was dismissed, Captain Hiroto requested that I bring the information gathered only to him, and to allow it to fall into no one else's hands. Not Hiashi-sama, not the Advisory Council, not anyone else. He does not say why."

Neji looked to Keisuke, affirmed that the young man was being truthful.

"Hiroto acting on his own..." Keisuke thought aloud. He turned to Neji again. "Is that unusual?"

Neji shook his head. "It is not unlike the Captain. He obeys orders when he is given them, but he has proven to be the type who will do what he pleases as long as he has not been ordered not to. For example, he was not ordered to avoid combat with Naruto when he was sent to recover Hinata-sama..."

"And so he felt entitled to a little fun and games," finished Keisuke with a shake of his head. "I've never met the man, and already I don't like him. All kinds of characters in the Hyuuga Clan, aren't there?" He favored the captive underfoot with a sadistic smile.

_Indeed, _thought the young man grimly, _and not a single one that has not been scarred in some way._

"How many Hyuuga have been assigned to run surveillance on Hinata-sama?" asked Neji.

"Surveillance on Hinata-san?" questioned Keisuke. "The last I know, she was going to keep her nose clean until Hiashi came around..."

Realizing that the blind man, who had been working at his mission for eighteen hours and had no contact with the other members of the Hyuuga Redemption Alliance (as Keisuke affectionately called it in his mind), Neji told him about Naruto's new mission.

Keisuke laughed harder than he had in quite some time. "What great irony!" he finally managed to choke out between guffaws. "They attempt to keep Naruto out of her life except for the purpose of shinobi business... and they wake up to discover that her life _is _shinobi business!"

"It was a very welcome surprise, to be sure," said Neji. Then he turned back to the captive. "How many?"

"There were two Branch sent by Hiashi-sama this morning," said the prisoner, "But I have not been back to hear their report. The council gave no official assignments, but that is unsurprising; they prefer to keep their dealings secret. I suspect that their agents may or may not be Hyuuga."

Neji nodded. He was satisfied. "Are you finished with him, Keisuke-san?"

"I believe so," said the blind man. "What do you want to do with him? Do you think he'll tell anyone you're in with me, Neji? I hope not; it would be a shame to have to kill such a courageous, cooperative young man."

Neji considered. The prisoner's throat tightened.

"No, Keisuke-san. If Hiroto were to suddenly decide that I am unfit for duty, then you would know who to come looking for. I do not think that he would like to have you suddenly appear on his doorstep one cold night," said Neji, throwing Keisuke a momentary grin.

"I suppose you're right," said Keisuke. "Off you go then, young man. Give Hiroto a message from me: He can study the Reiude until his eyes burn out, as long as you're the one doing the spying. If I catch any more following me around like a swarm of gnats, I'll swat them." He lifted the foot from the young man's chest, doused his flames, and put his sunglasses on.

The freed captive, though slightly confused at this strange message, decided not to question it. He bowed to Neji, then Keisuke, and disappeared.

Neji turned to Keisuke. "Is that wise, Keisuke-san? Letting Captain Hiroto gather information about your technique could have dire consequences."

"As long as Hiashi and his council don't know, I couldn't care less," Keisuke replied. "If this Hiroto thinks he can be some kind of hero by defeating me, let him come. I'll make a martyr out of him."

Neji made a guess. "You want to test yourself against a Hyuuga master. You want to see for yourself what kind of ground you can gain through might and skill."

Keisuke nodded in response. "Not only that," he said, "But I have a personal grudge against this one for nearly killing my little brother. That and," his face became suddenly very grave, "I have a bad feeling about him. Not working totally for Hiashi or the council, doing research on his own... it reeks of trouble."

Neji did not answer. He had not suspected anything foul of his Captain before, but not sharing his findings on the Reiude with the Clan Head was very curious, and Neji wondered what his motives might be.

Keisuke yawned. It was far past his bedtime. "I've had enough excitement for one day. Did you call off for me?"

"Hai," said Neji. "Shikamaru has given you leave to sleep until 0400 tomorrow. Then you will begin your search of the environs around the Aburame compound."

"All right. Come get me at my house if you find anything."

"We will. Rest well, Keisuke-san."

_I'll be lucky if I do, with this news, _Keisuke thought.

Contrary to this pessimistic line of thought, his fatigue and the pattering of the rain on his roof lulled him to sleep quickly, and he had no trouble sleeping through the night.


	19. C17: Waking Darkness

**A/N:** How's everybody liking the direction I'm taking so far? Any guesses on where all of this leads to? Go ahead, take a guess. Where are Naruto, Hinata, Keisuke, Haruka, Sakura, Sasuke, Hiashi, Neji, and Hiroto going to be at the end of this story? What do you think will have changed with them?

While you're pondering that, take a gander at this and tell me what's good or bad about it. I promise I will love you forever if you do.

**Chapter Seventeen: Waking Darkness**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves spent eleven more days underneath the shroud of the black clouds. Every now and again, a peal of thunder split the atmosphere, or a brief drizzle would dampen the ground, or a gust would claim a poor villager's hat. These instances were few and far between each other, and caused only a minor nuisance. However, one thing still brought unease to the hearts of the populace—the fact that this ominous gathering of thunderheads had settled over only Konoha and no place else, its radius ending just two miles or so beyond the village borders.

What this portended, none could say for certain. Whispered rumors flew of a device or jutsu to alter weather patterns, brought to bear on them from a foreigner. Others suspected the terrible wrath of an ancient demon just awakened from its slumber, and jumped at loud noises, fearing another Kyuubi had come to the village. Most people, however, chose to shrug it off and go about their business as usual; after all, what had they to fear since their military power had replenished over the past years? Daily life for the village, and for those on the crusade to reform the Hyuuga clan, was conducted normally—or as close to normally as it could be.

Keisuke and Neji, under Shikamaru's direction (he complained of being made a secretary, seeing as he was the one doing all of the mission paperwork and the running back and forth to deliver it), continued to search every marked zone on Kakashi's map thoroughly and repeatedly until there was no inch left unobserved, at which point they would begin again. When they were not searching, they were sleeping, and they ate whatever they could scrounge in their search zones. Such was the importance of the mission. Keisuke was motivated to find something as soon as possible; he wanted to return to other, more personal matters.

Haruka had acquiesced to Hinata's plea to be left alone, though she continued to be on watch against the spies of both Hiashi and the council and was able to take advantage of numerous photo opportunities. She managed to keep these to herself, though it tore something within her to not be able to share them. Given the opportunity, she would have shoved the snapshots of the incident at Ichiraku ramen triumphantly in Keisuke's face and gloated over her success, but Keisuke was never at his house when she came to call, and he never stopped to exchange harassment for very long when they passed on the streets. The Hyuuga outcast's discontent was prominent more and more often.

Naruto and Sakura continued their mission, the former with a will, the latter not so much. Apparently, Hyuuga Hanabi was very proud to be what she was and being assigned a bodyguard was clearly considered an insult by her point of view. On top of that, Hanabi often insinuated that she found her own clansmen to be the most effective guardians. Sakura would have liked to point out that if she didn't think she needed protection, then it shouldn't matter to her who was doing the protecting, but the medic was not willing to provoke open complaint. Hanabi's insinuations, delivered politely and coolly, were at least tolerable, but Sakura had never been a great fan of direct complaint from anybody, and once started, Hanabi could crank out more complaints in an hour than Naruto had ever managed in a week, even in his younger days. The pink-haired shinobi was, for once, envious of her blond teammate, who was having no such trouble at all.

Hinata continued to enjoy her time with Naruto, though not a day passed where she did not worry that this time out might be the last. So many things might have gone wrong; one of Haruka's new acquisitions might escape into the wrong hands; or the Advisory Council might suddenly change their interpretation of what was "businesslike conduct" and make the dreaded decision; or Keisuke and Neji might find something at any moment and end their mission, freeing Neji to take over the task of her protection. Still, Hinata managed to have a good enough time, laughing at Naruto's antics, blushing profusely at Kiba's more-than-barely-audible remarks to Shino, and reveling in the pride she felt whenever the blond praised her for the performance in practice or for the exquisite taste of the lunches that she had started bringing him every day.

All of them had their successes and their woes, their progress and their setbacks. Shinobi life went on, and the omen of the thunderheads neither dissipated nor hurled any calamity upon them.

Beneath them, however, the shadows stirred, and began to grow restless.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I say to you again: we have no hard evidence. Hiashi still clings to a measure of power, and without photographic proof he will not give way. We can do nothing!" The eldest advisor's wheezy voice was taut with exasperation. For days he had been listening to the same old pleas, for days given the same answer.

"First Elder, our associates have been observing the girl since the beginning, and that was eleven days ago! Surely, some proof must have been gathered..." Just like all the others, this advisor was impatient and caused the First Elder much grief.

"It has not, Hiroshi," sighed the First, knowing that he was going to have to waste yet another ten minutes reiterating his entire argument. "Our civilian agents are incapable of gathering photographic evidence in the presence of the traitor, Haruka. Any camera activity other than her own would be noticed and the film would be immediately confiscated, after which she would be on guard against the agent who was responsible for it. In those rare and happy instances where Haruka is not present, Hinata-sama does nothing out of line, and therefore yields nothing of value to us."

"Then why do we not incapacitate her and do it by force?"

"Haruka is too wily to allow herself to be caught while wandering again. She is a crafty one; once on her guard, she will be difficult to locate, and in the event that she is located, the circumstances by which she is found will alert Hinata-sama and allow the prey to escape."

"There must be something that we may..."

"There is nothing. Not while Uzumaki Naruto remains on this assignment. If we are to have any luck, it will be after his mission ends, not before. For the moment, the side of the false Great Father has the advantage, and will not lose it until these supposed disciples of Orochimaru hidden beneath the village are found."

The advisor called Hiroshi fell silent at last. The First Elder exhaled, grateful to the gods for cutting his argument short. However, he had barely drawn his next breath before he was interrupted yet again.

"While I agree," rasped the elder across the table, "That we can do nothing under present conditions, allowing the false Great Father to have the upper hand for too long may afford him time to find a weakness in either ourselves or in Hiashi, and tilt the scales of balance even more into his favor."

"Agreed," voiced a middle-aged female Hyuuga, "We cannot stand by and let this go on. If we are unable to find hard proof while the Snake Sennin's forces lurk in the shadows, then let us have those shadows lifted!"

"Are you suggesting that we attempt to find them ourselves, Hinako?" asked the First Elder warily. "Surely you are not volunteering our forces to go off on a wild goose chase to find nothing, or to be brutally slaughtered if they by chance do find them?"

"Of course not," Hinako huffed, tossing her fraying auburn hair. "I am suggesting that we plant evidence in the secret places of the village and arrange for them to find it."

"Now you are arguing for having our own people arrested and interrogated?"

"No! I mean to have them find evidence that the Sound shinobi have been here but abandoned their mission. In all honesty, I believe that's why they haven't attacked yet; Orochimaru noticed that Akatsuki has been more active lately and withdrew in fear, or else one of Hokage-sama's search parties came too close for comfort."

"The Hokage and the village council do not share your sentiment, Hinako," said the First with baleful eyes. "They would know such evidence to be falsified, planted. They will not be satisfied unless they can confirm bodies. Either that, or they will search a year before they will give up."

Hinako looked livid, but kept her mouth shut. The First swept his gaze around the council chamber.

"Are there any more _suggestions_ that have not yet been offered? If not, then this meeting is..."

"I have a suggestion, First Elder Takashi-sama." All heads in the room turned to the door which had, just moments ago, been closed, locked, and guarded. The tall figure that stood in the doorway was immediately recognized, and many of the advisors cringed.

"Captain Hiroto," greeted the First Elder, "I was not aware that the guards had been ordered to let you pass. It seems that I must reprimand someone later."

"Do not bother," growled Hiroto. "They were not ordered to admit me. I won my way through by force, and with little difficulty, I might add. You may wish to consider using more accomplished Hyuuga for door security."

"Captain, you have just 'won your way through' the best that we had. Not surprising, for what are ordinary Hyuuga to the might of one such as yourself?"

"You may dispense with the flattery, Takashi-sama. I am not interested. What are you imps sneering at?" Hiroto said acidly, turning eyes of scathing molten silver upon a group of younger advisors in the back of the room.

"Please, Hiroto," pleaded the First with undaunted politeness, "You say that you come to offer your suggestion, which is welcome. You need not pay any heed to my junior council members; they will be dealt with properly, I assure you. Sit down, please, and share your opinion with us."

"Thank you, but I will stand," said Hiroto, waving off the chair that the First indicated. He leveled a blazing glare at the offenders in the back.

"Very well," said the First, maintaining order. "Your suggestion then, Captain Hiroto."

Hiroto glared sidelong at the objects of his malice a little longer, but said what he had come to say. "My suggestion," he said, voice filled with ice, "Is that you allow me to plant this evidence that you so desperately need. Hatake Kakashi searched the ruins of Orochimaru's laboratory thoroughly, but he does not possess our eyes. He found only one of the factory chambers, the one where the clones were given life. My men uncovered the second chamber, where Orochimaru's scientists used the genetically modified Kedoui bloodline limit jutsu to transform them into the perfect likeness of the devil child."

Hiroto grinned with satisfaction at the advisors' grim expressions. "This technology is now in our hands."

"You lie!" came the protest from one of the frightened junior councilors in back. "You are loyal to Hiashi! You are undoubtedly part of a grand scheme to wrest the political power back into his hands!"

Deathly silence reigned in the chamber. The older advisors shared dark, knowing glances; they knew the mistake that the whelp had just made.

Hiroto's face did not discolor, his fists did not tremble, and his mouth did not retort with angry shouts. But no matter how calm he appeared to be, all could see the change that had come over the Captain's eyes. They focused upon the younger councilor as the eyes of the all-consuming, monstrous dragon, pools of silver-white murder pulling their victim in to drown.

The victim was brave enough—or perhaps terrified enough—to remain where he was as Hiroto crossed the room towards him. Good for him; if he'd moved one inch, the angry Captain's jab would have ruptured his heart. As it was, the thrust impaled the section of wall behind the space that was under the man's left armpit. The young man twitched, and looked up into Hiroto's eyes, which caught hold of him and held him like a mouse pinned underneath a cat's paw.

"I respectfully remind you, sir," said Hiroto coolly, "That while you and your fellows hold sway the minds of our peaceful citizens, the military might of the Hyuuga clan is still firmly ruled by Hiashi-sama. The only reason that your plotting and subversion is allowed to continue is because Hiashi-sama, who was once a strong and worthy leader, has become enmeshed in concern for his family, and grown soft; he no longer believes it is acceptable to use force against our own clansmen."

All of the advisors, including the First Elder, grimaced. They knew that everything he said was completely true, despite all that they wished to claim.

The poor young advisor was much more shaken by what came next.

"I have no such qualms. Step out of line just once, and you may find it difficult to sleep at night. Hiashi-sama is Commander-in-Chief, but the fighters will obey my order just as readily as his. Oh, you councilors may have some converts," Hiroto cast a smug look at the two guards collapsed outside the door, "But as you can see, they are too few and not the most reliable. You have been warned." Hiroto withdrew his hand from the hole in the wall, and walked back towards the door, much to the young man's relief.

The First reasserted control. "Captain Hiroto, though the whelp was undoubtedly speaking out of turn and rather rudely, he did present a valid point. As you say, the military Hyuuga are firmly under Hiashi-sama's heel, including yourself. How may we be certain that you intend to help us?"

Hiroto smiled, an ill omen. "If I had wanted to destroy your cause, I could have done so a long, long time ago. Yet, I have reason not to, though those reasons are not for you to know. You may take up my offer or not; it makes little difference, for my aims will be accomplished regardless."

The room was again quiet as the First Elder considered. In all his years of service on the council—more than anyone else, for which he was called the First Elder—he had never been presented with such a radical, shadowy, and absurd idea. Yet, if Hiroto could deliver what he promised, the false Great Father's advantage would be negated far sooner than they could have hoped for. He could see the eyes of the other councilors, could see the fear and distrust of Hiroto and their desire to have nothing to do with this scheme of his. But Takashi was an old man, nearing the end of his life; the stress of enduring their constant protests, forever and ever until the end of his numbered days, was not something that he wanted to leave the world with.

The other advisors wanted to act. He would leave the world as the one who led them in action.

"How soon can you be ready to lead Hokage-sama's search teams to your cloned Sound ninja, Hiroto?" asked the First.

No Hyuuga had ever been more horrified and fearful of a smile.

"I began preparations eight days ago. We will be ready tonight."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keisuke knew that Naruto had undergone changes the moment the blond boy walked into the ramen store. The change was not noticeable to the naked eye, but Keisuke was not one to rely on eyesight. The change was felt in Naruto's aura. Though it remained decidedly jubilant and strong and healthy, and Naruto greeted Ayame's—the true Ayame—cheerful welcome with cheer of his own, Keisuke was not blind to the shifting and squirming of Naruto's inner substance.

They sat together for the first time in many days. Naruto was here without Hinata this time, the reason being that Neji had called off for his sleeping break and had offered to keep watch while Naruto ate and contact him through Keisuke's repaired radio if she went anywhere outside her house. Keisuke just happened to be searching the environs of Ichiraku Ramen at that moment, and happily agreed to run communications between the two. He knew it wasn't authorized, of course, but it was easier to seek forgiveness than permission, in his book.

They engaged in pleasant and mostly meaningless conversation, catching up on what they'd been doing, laughing or commenting on humorous stories, comparing favorite ramen flavors (Naruto did most of the talking on this subject, and would have gone on endlessly had Keisuke not changed the focus at the first opportunity to the black clouds over the village), and anything that had nothing to do with what they were really thinking about.

Although pointless, it did much to lift Keisuke's spirits. Despite all odds against him, his crusade against the Hyuuga system was slowly marching towards victory. Naruto himself seemed to be having fun. Satisfied, Keisuke was about to tell Naruto that he'd enjoyed talking and had best be on his way, but a sudden question from his blond companion stopped him.

"Keisuke nii-chan, you've been in love before, right?"

This question was so unbelievably random that he nearly fell over on his stool. Bewildered, he replied, "I suppose that's true... yeah. What makes you ask?"

"No big reason, really. But... uh..." In his aura, Naruto's subtle turmoil crested.

_Ah, _Keisuke thought, suddenly understanding. _So that's what it was..._

"You've never really been in love before," finished the blind man, "And you wanted to know what it's like. Right?"

Naruto averted his face, trying to cover up the embarrassment he felt at asking this question. Keisuke nodded in recognition of the gesture.

"I thought so. It's not something us men are extraordinarily good at talking about," he said. "Have another bowl. It'll help you."

"Ehehe..." Naruto, his stability somewhat restored by this offer, motioned to old man Teuchi, but the ramen cook was already there with the sixth helping.

"What's that? I suddenly can't hear anything at all! Ayame, please fetch the hydrogen peroxide! I'm going to need my ears cleaned!" Teuchi clapped his hands to his ears as he spoke and both he and Ayame walked out of the lobby. He winked at them before he disappeared.

"Ichiraku-san is kind to offer us this privacy," Keisuke observed.

"Yeah," said Naruto, slurping up some of his noodles.

The blind man leaned forward onto the counter, pulling off his sunglasses and running a hand through his unkempt brown hair. "Now," he said. "I presume you were talking about the kind of love one has for his or her spouse?"

Naruto gulped down his mouthful and stared into his bowl. "Yeah, that's the one."

Keisuke folded his arms over the countertop and said, "I'm not exactly sure how it is for a woman to a man. Nor can I really say that the customs of courtship and marriage are exactly the same as they were when I was married, seeing as that was likely several centuries ago. I can't tell you anything about the outward manifestation of this thing we call 'love.'

"What I can tell you is that when it happens, for a man, the first thing you want to do is grab on and never let go," he said, recalling fond memories of his past life. "In that stage, it's all about the stuff that teenagers can do when their parents aren't around, but you can get that much from a simple crush... you start to see the differences when the pair runs into problems. The parents find out, one of them has to move farther away, et cetera. The first signs of real love is the ability to make the commitment to get around those barriers and all barriers to come."

Naruto took this in, nodded, and waited for him to continue.

"Second stage: You find a barrier that you never thought you would have to overcome—the other person. Everybody keeps secrets, kid. When people live together long enough, those secrets start to come out, and not all couples survive some of those secrets. The second signs of real love are seen when the two of them can forgive each other for what hides beneath and love each other regardless. This is usually the most emotional part."

Making sure to note this important information down in his brain carefully, Naruto slurped up more ramen. Keisuke had been right; it was easier to talk about when there was pork and miso in front of him.

"Yeah, and...?" he said, looking at him expectantly, "What's the third sign?"

Keisuke picked his arms up off of the counter and folded them over his chest. "Well, let's see," he said, "Once you're committed, and once you're out of things to hide, you should have developed a number of things between you. One of them is mutual trust," he counted on his fingers, "Another is a mutual understanding—both of you know where the other is going in life, why you're taking the other with you, and what purpose your togetherness serves on that journey. It's important that you keep up-to-date on the understanding, and constantly reaffirm it, or you forget and the relationship will corrode over time.

"If you can go through all of that, and you still haven't killed each other, you're in love, kid," Keisuke said. "Be sure you don't call it love ahead of time, before you've gone through it, then you'll be in a place you really, really don't want to go. Trust me, I almost went there once, myself." He chuckled over that particular memory, and put his sunglasses back on.

"So," Naruto said, finishing his ramen, "What you need to check for is commitment, secrets, trust, and understanding... right?"

"Yep," Keisuke said, standing up. "That's about it."

"What's the hardest part?" Naruto asked.

A memory of a voice shot through the blind man's head. "Getting her to shut up when she's being a nuisance," he said.

"Huh?"

"Uh, er... never mind. Different for every person. You'll figure it out," Keisuke amended. _That wasn't Yuka's voice, _he thought. _Yuka never chided me like that, not once..._ Then he groaned mentally. Suddenly, he had the image of a set of small pale hands to go along with the voice, and a familiar silk shirt and tough black pants, with studded leather bracers on the forearms that just screamed "rebel." No face came to mind, for he had seen through the person who possessed those hands and those clothes; the eyes of the person he saw through could not turn back to see that person's face. But he knew well who they belonged to.

_Shit,_ he thought, _I really need to keep a handle on my imagination, or who knows what it will show me when I'm riled up by my final victory..._

"Oy, Keisuke!"

The call from the door of the Ichiraku ramen restaurant was Shikamaru's. "What are you doing sitting around here?"

"Just helping my little brother do his duty, Nara-san." Keisuke meant both the duty of protecting Hinata and the secret duty that Keisuke meant him to carry out. Granted, it would be a long time before Naruto had any influence on the Hyuuga beyond the girl, but it was never too soon to give his full support.

Shikamaru flashed an annoyed glance at Naruto, but did not comment. "If you're finished," he said, "I need to speak to you and Neji as soon as possible."

"Got it," said the blind man, "I was just leaving. Give me a second to pay up."

Shikamaru nodded, grunted, and left. Keisuke left a stack of bills on the counter, and then went for the door himself.

"See you later, Keisuke nii-chan!" Naruto waved. "You really helped me out. Thanks."

Keisuke turned and faced him just as he was stepping out. "No problem, Naruto."

Suddenly, it seemed to Naruto that Keisuke was having indigestion. His face had screwed up, and his hand had gone to his chest. He leaned against the door as if it were a lifeline.

"Keisuke nii-chan?" Naruto questioned, "What's wrong?"

Controlling himself, Keisuke turned to walk out the door. Before he shut it, he called over his shoulder. "One last thing, Naruto, before I forget," he said. "When you've gone through all the steps, and you're sure as hell that you're in love... Make damned sure that you don't outlive her."

The door closed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Leaping through the night, Haruka carried her new trophies towards Keisuke's house. This time, she would be certain that the blind bastard synchronized and saw them. Let him try to escape... she'd waited long enough, and she would have his acknowledgment without fail. Her braided hair, black as the void, whipped in the wind, a show of defiance in the little tranquil moonlight that pierced the clouds.

Over fifty photographs had been accumulated. Every one was a small miracle, for skill was required to snap the camera without being seen, especially when one had to be on the lookout for enemy Hyuuga that prowled the streets. Each one was a treasure, for never before had such artful depiction of two happy teenagers taken place. The happiness itself was a miracle, made possible by Haruka's genius. Nobody in the world could deny her prowess now, especially not an eyeless, weak-minded, closed-thinking former human icicle.

She was just about to make the final leap onto Keisuke's roof when she nearly tripped right over Uzumaki Naruto, who was lying prostrate on the rooftop below. Exercising superior reflexes, Haruka landed catlike on the roof beside him, crouched down to see his face.

"Naru--?"

"Ssshhh! Quiet, Haruka nee-chan! They might hear you." Naruto's voice was hushed and carried a sense of urgency. Joining him in prostration on the rooftop, Haruka lowered her own voice.

"Who are we eavesdropping on?" she asked. "More importantly, don't you have a Hyuuga heiress to protect?"

Naruto's grimace was barely visible in the pale moonlight. "Yeah," he replied, "But I think this may be big. Huge! Maybe could make the bodyguard job completely unnecessary."

While the end of the bodyguard job meant the end of most of her fun, Haruka knew the importance of what he was getting at. Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke were a huge thorn in the side of Konoha, and a thorn in the side of Keisuke's Hyuuga Redemption Alliance. To eliminate that threat meant eliminating obstacles all around, in the long run. She kept quiet. After a moment, she heard the voices below for herself.

"You're sure this is it, Shikamaru? The stronghold we've been looking for?" Haruka recognized the voice as Keisuke's.

"No," came the reply, "I'm sure there's _something_ of the Sound ninja's down there. The noises I heard... but I don't know _what _it is. That's why I've come to get you; it's not safe to go poking around in there alone."

"Judging the nature of the sounds and the ease of access to the trap door, can you roughly guess how many people are down there?" This voice was Neji's.

"At least ten," said Shikamaru after a moment of thought, "But it could be as many as thirty."

"It only takes one to assassinate a person," said Keisuke thoughtfully.

"But we don't know if their intent is a silent assassination or theft. It could be a large-scale raid, in which case there would be more of these hiding places." Neji.

"Maybe there are tunnels underneath that lead to other holes? This one _is_ hidden smack in the middle of a massive sewage system and water supply grid, after all." Keisuke.

"It doesn't matter. Our orders are to learn as much as we can without engaging in combat." Shikamaru. "We'll be going through tight spaces. Neji, Keisuke, since both of you can find your way around and detect trouble in the dark, one of you will be on either side of me at all times. Neji will be in front, since he is the best at close quarters combat. I will be in the middle, where I can use my long-range techniques at a safe distance and communicate orders to both of you efficiently."

A pause, where presumably the other two nodded.

"All right," Shikamaru continued. "Remember, we are not to engage the enemy under any circumstances other than immediate self-defense, in which case they must be dealt with swiftly and quietly. By 'deal with' I do mean kill; we don't want to knock anyone out just to have them wake up and sound the alarm when we're deep in enemy territory. Are you okay with that, Keisuke?"

The blind man might have replied harshly, but he remembered that he was the new shinobi in town... Shikamaru had to know that he could be trusted to do what had to be done. He replied respectfully.

"I have no problems with taking lives that would take other lives."

"That's good enough, I suppose," said Shikamaru, although his tone indicated that a simple "yes" on Keisuke's part would have been fine.

"One more thing: If you encounter either Orochimaru or Uchiha Sasuke, flee immediately. Do not attempt to fight either one, and don't play the hero so that others can escape; Orochimaru has a reputation for what he does with heroes."

Another pause, more nodding probably. Then...

"Okay, follow me. The entrance that I found is in the pipe system below the Hokage tower..."

Atop their roof, Haruka and Naruto stood up.

"Damn it!" said Naruto. "Someone's finally going to do something major about the Sound, and I'm stuck on guard duty..."

Haruka's hand went to his shoulder. "We're going after them."

"What? But..."

"Like you said, Naruto, the success of this mission means the success of your other mission. Besides," she said, her face getting the first inklings of the battle-carving "Sadist's Glow" upon them, "That blind idiot won't go long without tripping over something and waking up the whole hive. Against all those Sound, he's definitely not going to survive without me. I'm doing him a favor." _Yeah. That's it. He'll owe me for this for sure._

Naruto gave his own foxy smile, the one that made everyone want to put all their faith in him.

"All right!"

OoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Seventeen OoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **Hoo-rah! I felt good after writing that chapter for some reason. Maybe it's because there's going to be some ass-kicking in the next chapter... Yeah, that's probably it. Go, ass-kicking! Whoo!


	20. C18: The Forgotten Castle

**A/N: **I had a lot of new reviewers in the last chapter. You all have my profound thanks. I have to wonder where Dragon Noir went, though... perhaps he is on vacation?

Here's good news: I'm finally done with my summer class, and I'll have more time to write.

Bad news: In one month, my fall term starts and time will be dramatically reduced.

End result: You must kick me in the pants all throughout this month so that I remember to crank out chapters while I still can. I have a tendency to sit around a lot these summer days...

**Chapter Eighteen: The Forgotten Castle**

On the wide tree branch where she rested, Sakura could easily see the entrance to the Hyuuga complex even in the heavy dark of the clouded night. It was only two rooftops away, and she could leap across these and be there in moments should her charge decide to take a nighttime stroll. Granted, most Hyuuga tended to remain in their beds at night (for which Sakura was grateful) but this did not mean that she could relax her vigilance; she had to be ready to respond at an instant's notice.

She and Naruto, since the beginning of their assignment, had been camping in this tree during the nights, taking turns watching the gate. The theory was that while one of them slept, the other could be on the lookout and wake them if one of their charges emerged and have them take over.

There was, however, one flaw in the plan: it didn't work when there was no second person to watch for you while you slept. Sakura had been looking forward to the end of her watch, but now Neji had left and Naruto had not returned; not only was Hinata minus one bodyguard, but if the blond didn't hurry up, then he might not be suitable for any job for a long, long time.

The pink wanted badly to toss vigilance to the winds and go after him, but discipline—her curse be on it—kept that impulse in check. Therefore she waited, eyes drooping, fists clenched, and mind seething, for some sign of her doomed teammate's return.

Her patience paid off. Just as she had been on the verge of toppling the tree in frustration, she found herself facing not just one, but twelve orange-clad shinobi, all of them with happy grins on their faces. This appearance sent Sakura mixed signals; Naruto wouldn't create his Kage Bunshins for no reason, so either something strange was afoot or he had a plot in mind. The great smiles all around implied that something good had happened, or that Naruto was about to make something good happen. Knowing that she was going to be losing yet more sleep, Sakura repressed her tired sigh.

"What are you so happy about, Naruto?"

"Sakura," said the Naruto nearest to her, "They've found it!"

Suddenly the pink-haired girl was wide awake. "Found... what?"

He knelt on the tree limb grasped her shoulders, and smiled wider. "They've really found it this time—Keisuke and his group are going into the Sound's hiding place!"

Sakura's mouth went agape with disbelief. "What? Already? But they've only been looking two weeks, and there are so many hidden places..."

"Shikamaru thinks that this one is the main one," the Naruto said. "If he's right, and they find what they've been looking for, then the next step is full-scale attack! We'll root those bastards out for good, and then..."

Sakura had stopped listening. She could figure out for herself where his train of thought was going: Find the Sound, infiltrate their base, root them out, find Sasuke, beat him up (if necessary), and drag him someplace where he can be made to see the error of his ways...

"You're going in with them, aren't you?" she asked.

All of the Narutos nodded at her. "I'm leaving my bunshins here to watch for Hinata until I get back. They can do your job, too, if that's what you want."

Sakura had expected as much. "Does Kakashi-sensei know?"

"No," Naruto admitted. "This is only the scouting stage, to make sure that this is the real deal. I was going to have him come with the actual raiding party, save him for when he's really needed. You, though... I think you'd want to come along every step of the way, like I did."

This was more kindness and consideration than Sakura remembered seeing from the boy. Three years ago, he would have wanted to charge in without delay, taking no time to think about anything else. It was good to see that he was keeping all of his bases covered.

However, a strange feeling had stolen over her. She really did not think that Shikamaru's team would have been able to find their quarry so soon; Orochimaru, aside from being extremely crafty, had known this village's secrets inside and out in his day, so hiding one hundred or so shinobi should not have been difficult. Then there was the fact that it was not at all advisable to hide all of that force in the same region, lest that one region be discovered and compromise the whole mission at once. No, Sakura did not like the feeling she got from this news. It smacked of treachery.

"That's very considerate of you, Naruto," she said. "But I'm not so sure this is the real thing. There's no way that even Shikamaru and Neji should have found it so quickly. It might be some kind of trap, set by Orochimaru to mislead us. If it is, I don't want to spring it. That's always been your job."

The Naruto in front of her chuckled, remembering those glorious days from long ago when he'd blundered into every make and model of trap set in his path. It hadn't been funny at the time, of course, but the years tended to add humor to even the most life-threatening of experiences.

"Yeah," he said, "I guess it always has. You probably want to sleep, too, since I was out for so long. Sorry about that." His hand found the back of his head and began to scratch, and his smile turned apologetic.

"That's fine, Naruto," said Sakura. "Thanks for thinking about me. Go spring that trap and let me know if I'm wrong, okay?"

"Yup!" said the blond in front of her. "See ya!" His work finished, the bunshin puffed away into smoke, the memory of the conversation flying back to the jutsu's caster. The rest of the bunshins took up positions in the tree, watching the gate in place of the weary Sakura.

"Be careful, Naruto," she whispered to no one.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Well?" questioned Haruka. "What's the word? They're about to head down, you know." Her white eyes were fixated on the trio below them, who were pulling up a sewer grate. Her voice was tense with anticipation.

The memory of the dissipated clone reached the true Naruto, bringing a slightly sad expression to his face. "She's not coming."

"A pity," Haruka said, too absorbed in her pursuit to care much. "But it's a stealth advantage to us to have less people, so there's no real loss."

"Speaking of stealth," Naruto said, his sad look replaced with a serious one, "How are we going to follow them without being seen? Neji has the Byakugan like you do; if you can see them, they can see us."

"Neji will be in the front, looking more forward than back," Haruka said. "The only one I need to see is Keisuke, in the back. I follow him, I follow them all. If I can see Shikamaru, I'll know I'm getting too close to Neji, and I can back off a little, but even if I slip up and get Neji in sight range, then I'll have plenty of time to back off before he sees us, because his attention is in front of him."

Naruto frowned. "I don't know, nee-chan," he said. "What if Neji's Byakugan is stronger than yours?"

"Neji is _not_ more perceptive than me." These words were almost a snarl, and Naruto felt compelled not to press the issue.

"Ehehe... if you say so." _Almost as scary as Tsunade obaa-chan... _

"They're through the grate," Haruka said. "Time to go."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As it turned out, Haruka's statement was the truth; Neji was completely unaware of them. His attention was fixed in front of him and to his sides, trusting Keisuke to watch their six o'clock. They entered the sewers, sought out the hidden trap door that Shikamaru had found, and climbed through it into one of the darkest passageways that Neji had ever known. Even his own Byakugan could only see the outlines of the walls and the openings in them. For the first time, Neji was envious of one without a Byakugan; Keisuke was completely at home in this environment.

He did not have the luxury of thinking on it long, though. Years of discipline brought his thoughts back to the task at hand, the dangers that the team could face. If this was truly the central hub of the Sound ninjas' hiding place or was close to it, then they ran a high risk of encountering large numbers of enemies. Not only that, they might be made to face one of the most dangerous enemies the village had ever known, against which they would have little chance. The knowledge was very sobering.

And then, of course, one had to consider the possibility of finding Uchiha Sasuke. Neji had never known the young Uchiha well, and had little affinity for him even though scuttlebutt had it that their two clans were related. What he knew, he knew mostly through Sakura, and even she had spoken little of it in the past three years. Neji had few reasons to like him and many reasons to dislike him. But he had all the reason in the world to respect him; Uchiha Sasuke possessed one of the most powerful—and the most feared—Kekkai Genkai techniques known to Konoha, and had been trained by one of the world's most ruthless killers. Surely, his power had to be immense. Just how immense had yet to be seen, but Neji had no doubts in his mind that the Uchiha genius would be a handful if they ran into him.

He remained engrossed in these thoughts until the sudden rise in the effectiveness of his vision brought him up short in the passage.

"What's the matter, Neji?" asked Shikamaru. His whispered words echoed off of the stone walls, causing the whole party to grimace. Yet, when no hordes of Sound shinobi appeared to smite them down, Neji deemed it safe to reply.

"There will be a lit chamber ahead. There is a possibility that we are becoming closer to what we seek."

Shikamaru's nod was lost in the darkness. "Keisuke? Are you picking up anything?"

"Not yet, sir," said the blind man. "Light travels much faster than sound or vibration, and is easier to detect from great distance. Admittedly, my ears are better conditioned than most humans,' but if there's anything over there I'll need to be closer to hear it."

"How do you want to proceed, Shikamaru?" asked Neji.

A pause, then: "Keep to the right wall. Light footfalls, hand signal communication only once we reach better light. Er... is there any way we can communicate silently with you, Keisuke?"

"I can feel the motions of your hands. Tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, then signal away."

Shikamaru hadn't been around the blind man long enough to know how this was possible, but didn't want to question it. This was no time to dally, anyway. "All right, let's go."

As they neared the light that Neji spoke of, Shikamaru's vision began to improve as well. Soon, he could make out his comrades against the blackness.

Keisuke tapped him in the back. Shikamaru and Neji turned to look. **_I hear voices,_** he signed.

_**How many? **_Asked Shikamaru.

_**Closer,**_ signed the blind man.

They kept going further, and soon Neji and Shikamaru were able to hear a jumble of conversation. Calling a halt and turning to Keisuke again, Shikamaru repeated his question.

_**Many many voices,**_ came the reply. **_See anything?_**

_**Not yet. Light growing, **_Neji assured him.

Indeed, the passageway did brighten. Though it branched off in numerous places in maze-like fashion, Neji could always tell which way the light was coming from, and they did not lose themselves. Shikamaru made careful note of the way they had come, tucking it away for when the time came to return to the surface.

At last, they came to a bend in the passageway around which the light glowed very brightly. Neji nodded to Shikamaru; this was as close to the source as they would get without coming upon it. Keisuke took note of the nod.

_**Found it?**_

_**Yes, **_signed Neji.

_**I count thirty voices, **_signed Keisuke. These were as many as he had been able to distinguish, though his ears might have missed some in the confusion. Not to mention, there may have been more that had not spoken at all.

By now, both Neji and Shikamaru could hear the low jumble of hushed conversation readily, and they agreed with grim looks that Keisuke's estimate sounded pretty accurate.

_**You look. Stay in shadow, **_signed Shikamaru to Neji.

The order was obeyed without hesitation, though the young Hyuuga was loathe to believe that there could be so many hidden beneath the streets so near the Hyuuga compound. He crossed to the left wall and, hugging it to stay as well-hidden as he could, Neji peered out into the lit room.

He was astonished by what he beheld. Before him was a suspended stone walkway that spanned the length of the room to a doorway on the other end. On either side of the walkway, all down its length, was a sunken stone pit. Wooden ladders hung from the walkway at intervals, allowing access from it down into the pits. Above the walkway, embedded in the ceiling, was a brightly burning light fixture.

The apparatus cast blaring yellow light into the pits, which Neji could see had been made into comfortable living spaces, complete with pantries, small kitchens, doors that presumably led to toilets, and numerous chairs and couches. And within those chairs and couches...

_**Found them,**_ Neji signed. His face was ashen.

_**How many? **_Asked Shikamaru.

_**Many.**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hyuuga Shinosuke, aide to Captain Hiroto, observed the intruders' approach from the safety of the control room. The use of the night-vision cameras, even with their greatly magnified range, had to be timed meticulously, for if they were not withdrawn into their pockets in the walls almost immediately after seeing the targets, Hyuuga Neji would walk into Byakugan range and see them. It was difficult work, but Shinosuke was attentive and managed to keep all of the cameras hidden from his clansman's sight. The last camera—the one suspended from the ceiling in the pit chamber—had been hidden away only a moment ago, after confirming their arrival there.

"Hiroto-sama," he said into the radio, "They have come, as you said they would."

"The blind one is with them?"

"Hai, Hiroto-sama. He trails behind, guarding their backs, as Neji-sempai looks forward."

"And the other two that you spoke of, the ones that follow them in the shadows?"

"They hide one corridor behind, just beyond the first group's sight."

A pause on the other end, and then the order came through.

"Proceed as we planned," said Hiroto. "Full facility lockdown, and trap the false Great Father separate from the other two. We will let the two followers alone—they can do little harm or good once the lockdown is in place."

"Hai, Hiroto-sama." The raido clicked off.

Shinosuke was loathe to orchestrate this mission. So many human beings had been brought to life through their hands in the last few days. Now, each and every one of them would die, and in the process fool the whole village into thinking that they had vanquished a great enemy. The council may have believed that there was no threat from Orochimaru, but Shinosuke believed that it was foolish to assume so; for all they knew, the Sound might be hiding in much greater numbers than even the Hyuuga had thought to portray. If they were wrong, Konoha might be wiped off the face of the world.

And for what? Just so the council could rest more easily about a blind man and teenage hormones? Shinosuke did not like this at all, and if he had had any say, he would not be here.

Yet, orders were orders, and under Hiroto, defiance of orders was as good as a death sentence. Therefore, Shinosuke did not question them.

He reactivated one of the hidden cameras to sneak a quick glance at the forward group's back. Thankfully, Neji was still focused forward, and the camera was out of reach of Keisuke's feelers. Seeing that the blind man stood a comfortable distance away from his fellows, Shinosuke waited until Shikamaru came forward to confirm Neji's sighting, then put the plan into action.

Sliding open an old hidden panel and yanking on an old handle, he initiated the fortress's antique defense mechanism. Then, picking up the intercom that the Hyuuga had installed for just this occasion, Shinosuke altered his voice, delivering the proclamation of a doom that would not come to pass.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As soon as the shadow user laid eyes upon the fifty or so Sound ninja that rested in the pits below, a loud clunking noise was heard. Too shocked by what he was looking at to react quickly, Shikamaru was caught off guard.

Neji, however, was not. He noticed the heavy panels in the walls falling into the floor, saw the death that waited behind. Keisuke groped around with his feelers, trying to figure out where the wall had gone, but he did not perceive the punji trap as quickly as Neji's Byakugan could. Diving back into the passage, Neji shoved the blind man out of harm's way just as the sharp rods slammed closed. Though Neji and Keisuke were separated from Shikamaru, they were unharmed.

A voice emanated from the walls. It was deep and resonant, and it carried the weight of a dirge, if not the melody.

"Welcome, Konoha shinobi," it said. "It is very pleasant to have you here, after waiting so long. We were beginning to grow bored waiting for our master's order."

Shikamaru had recovered his wits, and was now testing the bars that blocked the passage behind him. He could see Keisuke and Neji on the other side, but he could not budge the trap.

"That won't work, I'm afraid," came the voice again. "We are in the ruins of the old Daimyo's castle, in the dungeon level. Did you know that the Daimyo of the Fire Country once resided here? It was some time before Konoha was built... perhaps the Great Father remembers? Ah, but I digress. This ancient prison below the castle was equipped with a very durable emergency lock, which now blocks your way. The prison pits below you, which now serve us as our home away from home, as well as the first sections of corridor leading out from them, could be sealed off by these multi-layer locks in case the guards were ever overpowered by their prisoners. As you can see, it is quite strong, for it was designed to hold even shinobi prisoners."

Below Shikamaru, hooting calls and dangerous leers rose up from the pits. Already, the first of them had begun to climb up the ladders on either side of the walkway. The shadow user, cursing himself for becoming separated from his team, backed against the trap's bars and prepared to fight them off alone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Shinosuke put down the intercom and looked at his monitor again. He was unnerved to find that he had captured two of them in the corridor rather than just Keisuke. This was not good for the plan; Neji's taijutsu and Shikamaru's mid-range support techniques would have held the narrow walkway much easier than Shikamaru alone. Though the cloned Sound-nin had had advanced combat training implanted in their minds, they'd had no actual combat experience, and could not think as creatively as the genuine articles. They would be significantly weaker than the Jounin intruders. However, they had a fifty-to-one advantage rather than the twenty-five-to-one that Shinosuke had sought to create. Shikamaru might be overwhelmed, his team defeated, which was not according to plan; Konoha was supposed to win this encounter.

To top it off, Keisuke would have help, which didn't fit Hiroto's designs at all. The plan called for Keisuke to be overwhelmed and captured, though for what purpose Shinosuke hadn't the slightest idea. Perhaps Hiroto had found out about his failure to stay hidden while spying on the blind man and had decided to simply study the Rokujuuyon Reiude in captivity?

He couldn't do anything about it now, though; making sure Konoha won was top priority. Thinking frantically, Shinosuke looked for a way in which he might aid the shadow user. Checking his monitors, he found one within a few moments, and let out the breath he'd been holding. He picked up the radio, changed the frequency to the one used by the cloned Sound ninjas.

"Send a single squadron to attack the two stragglers outside cell four. Use the overhead tunnels."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto tried in vain to dislodge the heavy trap bars. His big blind brother was trapped within the sealed passage, with only Neji to help him. Panels had opened in the ceiling above them, and Sound guards were dropping in to subdue them, as the Daimyo's guards had once trapped and ambushed prisoners in the past. Beyond that, Shikamaru was trapped alone in a cell with fifty enemy ninja.

The blond tried everything he could think of to break through the bars, with the exception of the Rasengan. He held back on that technique for fear of metal shards flying off and impaling Haruka, who stood watching, stony-faced, behind him.

"That's all you can do, Naruto," she said. "I want to help out, too, but those bars are as solid as you'll ever see in this life. We'll have to find a way around."

"That will take too long!" Naruto said. "It'll be over by the time we break through."

"Maybe not. There might be hidden access panels here, that the guards would have used to go through when the defense mechanism was triggered." She activated her Byakugan and began looking for them.

Naruto's Ghostly Arms flared out from his tenketsus, began searching every nook and cranny of the stone walls. "If there are any, I'll find them for sure. Hang on, Keisuke..."

What they sought, however, was not within the walls. A panel opened up in the ceiling.

"Naruto, above us!" alerted Haruka.

Naruto looked up in time to stop the descending enemy's kunai from spiking into his head. Yanking his assailant down, he threw his foot up hard to meet him. The downward momentum of the Sound ninja, coupled with the hard upward thrust of the foot, was not healthy for the ninja, who fell to the floor gagging and did not get up.

Haruka's eyes crackled with the intensity of battle. The next two that came from the opening above fell at once to her sweeping, relentless strikes. Killing one of them with a swift Jyuuken strike to the heart, she flung his body in the path of his comrade, who tripped over it and was felled by Haruka's crushing elbow in his back, pinning him to the floor and fracturing his spine.

The fourth Sound shinobi made the mistake of believing Naruto to be less dangerous than Haruka. He moved swiftly to kill the latter, who had her back turned as she killed his fellows, and was dispatched to the void by the Rasengan, courtesy of the former.

When all four lay dead or unconscious at their feet, Naruto and Haruka looked upward, upon the hatch from which the assailants had come. It had closed up after the last man had come through. It was now indistinguishable from the ceiling stone that surrounded it.

"There's our ticket inside," Haruka said.

"So how do we get it open again?" asked Naruto.

At that moment, the clash of steel and the grunts of men striving to kill one another came from the opposite side of the trap. Among them were the startled shouts of Keisuke and Neji. Apparently, the hidden guard's passage in the ceiling had openings into the sealed corridor, as well.

Haruka looked at Naruto. "I think we may just have to go with the standard Uzumaki Naruto style on this one."

"Quick and dirty," acknowledged the blond. He started the chakra swirling in his right palm.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

There was only one hatch in the overhead tunnel that opened to the outside passageway—after all, who wants to provide more than one way for a prisoner who found the tunnel to escape? However, there were plenty of hatches that opened into the sealed corridor where the escapees were trapped. This allowed the guards to make ambushes from above much larger and more effective.

It worked comparably well for the cloned Sound ninja. Neji and Keisuke soon found themselves surrounded, not by the puny four that had found Naruto and Haruka, but a good thirty-two. All of them had dropped out of immediate range of Neji and Keisuke's counterattacks, and thus they had had time to get organized. Unlike Shikamaru, these two did not have the advantage of only needing to defend a narrow walkway; their opponents had a wide passage in which to maneuver and many angles from which to strike.

"We are disadvantaged," said Neji.

"Tell me something I don't know," mumbled Keisuke.

"Can you detect any escape route, Keisuke-san?"

"No."

"Can you make an escape route?"

"Not without causing us both severe injury, I'm sorry to say."

"Then we must fight."

"Yep."

Neji stood poised in his Jyuuken stance, on guard against the menacing horde. The enemies growled and jeered and drew flashy, jagged blades and heavy clubs. They advanced slowly, step by step, savoring their superior position and reveling in the upcoming kill.

The Hyuuga prodigy frowned at the sight. "Barbarians," he thought aloud. "You may have to use your Sanjuuni Reiude, Keisuke-san. It will cripple you in the end, but we will be alive."

Keisuke grinned. "There's no need to cripple myself over this, Neji. A mob like this is dealt with much more easily with two than one. Especially," he said, snaking his Ghostly Arms toward Neji, "When one is Hyuuga and one possesses the Reiude."

With his nearly three-hundred and sixty degree vision, Neji watched the thin tendrils press into his arms, legs, head, and back. They seemed balked at something, struggling to work past his skin.

"Relax your tenketsus," Keisuke ordered. "Allow them passage."

It seemed odd to Neji that he would ask something like this, and he wondered what the blind man had in mind. Yet, as soon as he complied, Neji forgot that oddity. After the initial tingle of the Reiude sinking through his flesh, the young Hyuuga Jounin was introduced to an entirely new and wider world.

"What...?" he gasped, dazzled at the new sensory input he was receiving.

"Synchronization," Keisuke explained. "Our senses and our chakra are pooled together. Don't be so enthralled with it that you forget our enemies, there, Neji."

Indeed, Neji had almost lost himself in the sudden strangeness of having two sets of ears, two noses, two skins, and a set of long feelers. Keisuke's warning snapped him back to the present, where the mob of enemies regarded them strangely, wondering what the hell the Hyuuga boy was doing just standing there spacing out.

Neji flowed back into his stance, his face returning to its serious state. He still marveled at the new sensations, but he had adjusted to it now. He would be able to fight, and undoubtedly with very heightened efficiency.

"Hai, Keisuke-san. Let us defeat them quickly," he said.

"My thoughts precisely," returned Keisuke. "Now that I have your eyes, this will be much easier."

Sixteen Ghostly Arms wrapped themselves into Keisuke's skin, forming the cryptic sign of conflagration. Fire sprouted immediately, filling the dimly-lit corridor with flickering firelight.

"Come," said Keisuke, his voice low and promising doom.

A few enemies were balked, but several brave shinobi charged forward. They met their end in searing pain as the Reiude trap seal exploded in their faces, the flame dazzling those who had stayed behind. Twenty-six enemies remained alive.

From behind the flames sprang six Keisukes, lunging into the fray like fiery hell-spawn, swinging burning arms and legs into their foes. Enraged, the enemies concentrated all of their might upon these six demons, forgetting entirely the other player in the game.

With the Sound ninjas distracted by Keisuke and his bunshins, Neji darted across the board, taking pieces silently and unimpeded. The enemies never saw the Hyuuga death dealer until their last moment, as Neji drove his Jyuuken—powered with both his own blue chakra and Keisuke's sickly blue-yellow—into their unsuspecting innards.

Despite Hiroto's well-laid plans, the "false Great Father" would not be captured just yet.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Observing from the hatches above, Haruka fumed. She saw the melee below, saw the enemy shinobi drawn to the Keisukes like moths to flames, saw them fall victim to the slapping, stinging death that was Neji. It was a grand and magnificent show, as well as brutal and deadly.

Haruka had seen it done many, many times before. Yet she had always, always viewed it from the perspective of the silent, stinging death, taking part in the symphony of glory rather than being a spectator. The fact that she was not a part of it now, that her part was being played by another, was a slap in the face. It made her blood boil, her fists tremble.

"So," she said through clenched teeth, "It's the truth, then. I've been replaced..."

"Haruka nee-chan!" Naruto's urgent plea came back through the tunnel, "We gotta get moving! Keisuke nii-chan and Neji can handle themselves down there. Shikamaru needs us now!"

Haruka knew this, but she was reluctant to move. She stayed where she was, looking down upon the synchronized combatants below and seething.

"Come on!" insisted Naruto. He reached back and gave her silk shirt a light tug forward.

Complying at last, Haruka went after him. Keisuke would come later; right now, the mission needed to be saved.

The two of them dropped down at the last hatch, Naruto nearly falling onto Shikamaru. It was well that the "almost" was present in this statement, for if it had not, Shikamaru was tired enough to not get back up. The shadow user had been using everything that he had to fend off the enemy. Thus far, he'd succeeded in killing twelve of the fifty, but the enemies that merely fell off the walkway (and these were many, as the walkway was very narrow and a single good push could send them toppling) just dusted themselves off and came around for another try. Thus, when Naruto had picked himself up and Haruka had landed with somewhat less of her usual grace, Shikamaru was glad to—once again—be in the company of a Hyuuga and a Reiude user.

Haruka took over the front at once, wielding her fresh power against the diminished hordes. Her "Sadist's Glow," to those who recognized it, seemed to be more palpable than ever today as she felled the Sound before her. The enemies who came at her were cut down as wheat against a sickle.

"Didn't you have your own assignment, Naruto?" panted the exhausted Shikamaru.

"It's being taken care of, don't worry," Naruto replied. "My bunshins would let me know if something happened. More important, how the heck did you get into this mess?"

Shikamaru would have frowned in annoyance if he wasn't gasping for breath. "Idiot... they obviously had some kind of surveillance system. How Neji didn't see it, I don't know, but that isn't important..."

"No, it's not," Naruto agreed. "What's important is getting the hell out of here before the real trouble shows up..."

"I think the real trouble is already here," said Shikamaru, gesturing below. The doors that they had thought led to restrooms were belching forth more Sound ninja. For every enemy that either Shikamaru or Haruka had felled, two more came forth to replace him. "It looks like these cells are all interconnected. There could be as many as ten more, all with about fifty men inside. Orochimaru wasn't planning any quiet assassination or theft... this is a full-scale raiding party."

"And we're in the middle of it!" Haruka yelled, toppling another foe with a chakra-enhanced leg sweep.

"Well, let's not just sit here and wait to be wiped out," Naruto said. "Come on! We'll go back through the tunnels in the ceiling..."

"We can't retreat that way," Shikamaru said. "I expect they'll have that corridor behind us packed with guards by the time we get over there. Besides, we don't have any cover to protect us from ranged attacks while we climb up the hole."

"Well, what are we supposed to do, then?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes and thought. Screams of the dying filled the air as his mind clicked away. After a few moments that seemed an endless eternity, he spoke again.

"Naruto, take over for Haruka. I need her eyes," he said.

Naruto nodded. "You got it." His Tomoshibi no Kyuubi shimmered into blue life at his back.

Haruka had also heard the order, and sent a final enemy to his grave before allowing Naruto to step in. Then she stood before Shikamaru, awaiting the next command.

"Use your Byakugan and look behind the walls," Shikamaru said. "They wouldn't have this trap mechanism here without also having a way to reset it. The switch to open the trap gates is probably hidden nearby."

"I got it," Haruka said. She turned her eyes to the stone.

A few moments were spent in Haruka's searching, Naruto's whirlwind defense, and the minor explosions that were heard from the sealed corridor behind them. Finally, Haruka's eyes widened. She had made a discovery.

"There is one," she said, "But not in the walls. It's in the floor."

"Where?" Shikamaru asked, eager to release the trap and be on his way home.

Haruka gestured to the middle of the walkway. "A trapdoor in the center. A wheel beneath."

"So we need to get over there and crank the wheel," Shikamaru said. Easier said than done. The tide of enemies was relentless, and Naruto was expending huge amounts of energy to hold it back. They would have to go past and hold position beyond the first set of ladders.

"Well," he said, rising back to his feet, "There's no time to spare. Haruka, make a path for us. Naruto, hold them off of our back. I'll support from the middle. We'll crank those gates open, grab Keisuke and Neji, and make for the exit together."

"All right."

"Let's go!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Four of the six Keisukes had been blown into smoke. Twenty-three Sound had fallen to the flaming might of Keisuke and Neji's strike-and-fade tactics. Thirteen enemies remained. Keisuke was running low on chakra and had to borrow from Neji to keep going; dividing into six and then supporting his flame seal for a prolonged period had drained him, for he was not the chakra freak that his little brother was.

Thankfully, it was almost over. The enemy had been reduced to a small enough number to execute the deathblow that was the end of this strategy. Keisuke pushed his clone through to the end of the sealed passage. His true body withdrew, going to stand at the other end. He motioned for Neji to follow him.

The thirteen enemies stood, panting and gasping and growling, in the middle, eying both ends of the tunnel. They spotted the Hyuuga Jounin who had been the death of so many of their comrades, and glowered.

"What a bunch of pushovers," gloated the true Keisuke. "Look, Neji... the brainless brutes standing over there between me and you like they can't tell who it is that's been doing all the killing."

Catching onto Keisuke's ploy, Neji smiled and said, "Indeed. Their stupidity alone must have killed half of them before we even got here, Keisuke-san. I'll have to bathe for a week before their contagious idiocy washes off of my hands."

That tore it. The enemy rushed as one for Neji, howling and gnashing. Keisuke stepped back, getting out of the way. Drawing on the combined pool of chakra, Neji poured power into his palm, releasing it in a single wave at the enemy.

"**Hakke Kusho!"**

The raw chakra surged forth, bowling the enemies over and backward towards the lone Keisuke bunshin who stood alone at the other end. The true Keisuke ran his hands through a series of seals, ending in the sign of flames.

"**Bunshin Bakudan no Jutsu!"** (Clone Explosion Technique)

The shockwave rocked the whole passage, blowing chips of stone and steel in all directions. Neji was forced to use the Hakke Shou Kaiten to deflect the deadly barrage. Keisuke, who felt yet more of their combined chakra pool deplete, vowed never again to use that jutsu indoors.

When the dust cleared, the metal bars that sealed the passageway off from the cell had been blown away. Keisuke smiled, and was about to congratulate Neji on a job well done... until he realized that the rumbling had not ceased.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Fighting their way through the never-ending swarm of enemies proved to be challenging, painful, and exhausting, yet they managed to do it. Haruka stood before the open trapdoor in the center of the walkway, Naruto and Shikamaru balanced precariously behind her, guarding her back. The enemy had guessed at their strategy and begun coming up the second pair of ladders in front of her, but their progress was slow, and Haruka had plenty of time to crank the wheel.

She knelt on the stone and heaved once, twice, and a third time before the rusted mechanism turned. Muscles bursting with the strain, Haruka ground it the rest of the way around and fought to come back to her feet; she still had to fight her way back across to Keisuke.

As she rose, a huge explosion rocked the cell, and a strangled cry came from Naruto's throat that soon turned into a cheer of triumph. Looking over her shoulder, Haruka saw that the gate had burst open.

"That did it!" she exclaimed. "It's open!"

"Not quite," replied Shikamaru, "Look at the one on the other side!"

Turning to face front and delivering a Jyuuken to the first of the next wave of attackers, she looked to the far end of the walkway. She gasped as she saw that that gate was still in place.

"I don't think that the switch we just threw was the release for the trap!" yelled Shikamaru over the noise.

_Then what was it? _Haruka thought.

As they fought back toward the exploded gate and Keisuke and Neji emerged, the answer came trickling out in their wake. Water ran across the floor and into the pit behind the two, slowly at first, and then in a river, then a torrent.

"You just activated the Daimyo's old mass execution chamber!" yelled Keisuke. "When the prisons filled up, the prison guards purged them by drowning all of the prisoners!"

"Oh, that's wonderful," said Haruka. "First I'm replaced, and now I'm going to drown..."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru remarked. "How high does the water rise?"

"Well past the top of the pits. We'd best be finding higher ground, and soon," said Keisuke.

"I don't think there is any we can go to, Keisuke nii-chan! Both of the gates are giant waterfalls!" yelled Naruto.

By now, the Sound clones had figured out what was happening and had abandoned the fight, run screaming down their tunnels searching for their own exit.

"We'll have to make higher ground, then," said Keisuke. **"Hitoshirezu Shintou!" **

Keisuke began hurling shuriken at the left wall. They struck the stone and detonated, Keisuke's blue-yellow chakra ripping a hole into it. Shikamaru and Neji caught on and tied explosive tags onto kunai, and flung those at the wall as well. Soon the hole had become a cavern. When it was too deep to be widened from the walkway, Neji leaped into it, followed by Shikamaru and then Keisuke. Neji and Shikamaru continued to dig with their kunai, while Keisuke, suffering from chakra depletion, sank down to rest at the hole's edge.

The pits had nearly filled with water. Haruka leaped from the walkway, aiming for the man-made cavern. But the walkway had become slippery, and Haruka came up short. She would have fallen into the pits, but Keisuke reached over the side and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Easy does it, Sadist," said Keisuke, flashing his triumphant grin.

"Let go, you damned blind fool!" Haruka snarled. "I can take care of myself." She struggled to break free of his grasp, and the contents of her pockets began to escape, falling towards the watery grave below.

Keisuke wondered what had caused Haruka to act so vehemently. "Come on, Haruka," he said, taking the joke out of his voice, "Let me help you up..."

"No!" She twisted, broke his hold, and began falling again. Keisuke thought she was suicidal until he felt her adhere to the wall with her chakra and begin climbing on her own.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" he asked as she pulled herself into the cavern.

"Nothing!" she snapped. "What's gotten into you, besides your new partner?"

"What?"

"Hey, Keisuke," said Shikamaru. "If you aren't terribly busy, do you think you can help us dig some more? This tunnel is not going to be comfortable at this size with so many people crowded in."

"Huh? Oh... Hai, give me one moment." Keisuke looked back at Haruka, but she was determinedly looking anywhere but at him. The "Sadist's Glow" had mutated in her to something dark and ugly, and it made Keisuke want to leave her be. He sat against the wall of the cavern wondering what in the world had happened, until finally he became aware of the last member of their group, standing stock-still on the wet walkway.

"Hey, Naruto!" Keisuke called, "Come up here! We'll need your chakra and your Rasengan to dig our way to a dry passage.

Naruto looked up from the photograph that he'd been holding, one that had fallen from Haruka's pockets. He appeared dazed for a moment, but then he shook it off and nodded his head.

"Yeah, nii-chan, I'm coming."

OoOoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Eighteen oOoOoOoOoOoO


	21. C19: Fire and Tears

**A/N: **If you've noticed that my forum is gone, don't be alarmed... I'm not going to stop replying, but I've decided that it's more convenient to me to reply one-by-one as the reviews come rather than spend twenty minutes on it all at once. Look for review replies in your in-boxes.

**Chapter Nineteen: Fire and Tears**

The sun climbed above the horizon, turning the eastern sky fiery orange. In recent days, with the pall of the black storm clouds hanging like the raised guillotine over their heads, the villagers had come to hold this time sacred. In these early hours, before the blazing orb of daylight rose beyond the veil of the thunderheads, they flocked into the streets to do their shopping and their chores bathed in warmth and light.

Today was no different from the previous days in terms of the sun's early glory, but a stranger who had only just arrived the day before would have been able to perceive the infection that marred the livelihood of the village. Rumors flitted about, spreading like wildfire from mouth to ear, soul to soul. The scuttlebutt itself was as wild and outrageous as the rate at which it spread, and it seemed to come in an infinite number of varieties. However, it all revolved around one occurrence: the odd, prolonged rumblings that had rocked the village in the night.

Nobody could offer more than a guess, for nobody had been given the true story. A fair number shrugged it off, dismissing the tremors as an earthquake—"We've been overdue for a quake, haven't had one in a hundred years," offered Ichiraku Teuchi. Others capitulated to subdued panic, whispering fearfully in their neighbors' ears that the Akatsuki lurked below ground, come to put Konoha to the flame as they had Suna. Perhaps the group that came closest to being right was the maintenance crew of the public bathhouse, who claimed that the tremors were the result of a chain of water mains rupturing and that this was why a gigantic fissure had appeared in the women's bath (actually, the fissure was the product of a large human having been smashed into the stone, but the staff decided it was much more practical to file suit against the water company that the women who had done the smashing or to spend time and resources searching for the pervert, who had wisely vanished soon after being smashed).

There was only one organization that knew what had happened in its entirety, and they were all but prancing around their conference room in gleeful triumph.

"Order!" cried First Elder Takashi. "This is our hour of victory, but I will have it celebrated in a civilized fashion. Cease your buffoonery before I have you all evicted!"

The lesser members of the Advisory Council were too happy to take the reprimand sharply. They returned to their seats, but they remained exalted. The elderly Takashi could not help but smile back at them; his legacy was to be assured.

"Now then, Shinosuke-kun," he said, turning back to the young Chuunin who knelt at his side, "Rise, and bring forth this evidence that Hiroto has obtained."

"Hai, Takashi-sama," said Shinosuke. He laid the stack of photographs—the ones that were not severely water-damaged—upon the conference table, and the younger councilors all leaned forward to get a good look at them.

"So, Hiroto snapped these himself, did he?" asked one of them. "It makes sense. If anyone can out-sneak that bitch Haruka, it would be him..."

"Actually, my lord, it was not my master who took these pictures," interjected Shinosuke. "They were recovered from the aftermath of last night's activities by an ANBU member whom Hiroto-sama paid well to find them. The most likely explanation is that Haruka-san dropped them during her escape."

The young advisor and a few of his colleagues stared incredulously at him. The ANBU were supposed to work only for the Hokage's office and accept no commission, payment, or bribe from anyone else...

"Ah, it doesn't matter, anyway," he shrugged finally. "With this, we'll be able to cast that little slip of a girl into the Branch House, and choose a new leader. A strong leader..."

"It seems ironic to me," mused Takashi, "That Haruka-san, the one person who impeded our path, ended up providing us with the very photographic evidence that she has so adamantly prevented us from having."

This got a laugh out of the whole room—minus Shinosuke.

"I wonder," said an old, corpulent Hyuuga to the First's left, "Why Hiroto did not deliver this message and his wonderful gift of evidence in person. Surely he would not pass away the opportunity to flaunt his success in our faces, rub our noses in our own impotency..."

This last comment sobered the councilors. He did have a point... was Hiroto up to something, perhaps planning to betray them at the last second?

"My master anticipated that sentiment," Shinosuke replied, "And instructed me to respond that he is unwell and cannot attend this meeting. He promises to come and revel in his glory—the glory that you will likely take credit for—before you at a later time."

One junior advisor, remembering the hole that had nearly been put through his heart at the Captain's last appearance, shuddered and grimaced.

"Pardon me, First Elder," said the middle-aged woman from her seat, "But what of the young Uzumaki Naruto? Has he been relieved of his duty? The Kyuubi may manifest itself as it did against Hiroto if we try to take Hinata-sama while she is under his charge."

Takashi nodded in acknowledgment. "Hokage-sama has received the reports of last night's incident and has decided to lift the emergency protective measures."

"_All_ of them?" she asked, incredulously. "Tsunade-sama would not be fool enough to lift the measures so quickly, without conducting a final investigation of the facility and surrounding areas..."

"The ANBU are conducting that investigation as we speak," offered Shinosuke. "What is more, Hiroto-sama arranged to have some Sound 'evacuees' flee the facility and be captured by the village patrol—they were interrogated overnight and have confessed to being affiliated with the main detachment of Orochimaru's forces. It has by no means totally convinced Tsunade-sama, but it has helped to ease her mind."

Takashi inclined his head in agreement. "Hokage-sama did not lift all of the emergency measures, Hinako. In fact, the search parties have doubled in number. However, the measure that counts has been done away with; the personal bodyguards have all been relieved of their duties, including Uzumaki Naruto."

Hinako nodded, conceding the point, but she pressed on. "That is well, First Elder. However, I would like to ask you to consider going ahead with the original plans to dispose of the boy..."

"Now, that probably isn't necessary, Hinako," interrupted the corpulent man. "It is enough that Hinata-sama can no longer succeed the clan. So long as we do not threaten Hinata-sama's life, I believe that he will remain docile..."

Hinako glared at him. "You are old enough to remember, Hikaro, that the first Uzumaki the council sought to deny was undaunted when you believed you had won. He pressed onward, would have undone our entire way of life, had the unfortunate death of Hiashi-sama's late sister prevented him at the last. Your council could have done nothing had that not happened, for you had let slip your hold when you should have held fast!"

Hikaro, was balked, managed only to say weakly, "But, Hinako... this is a child we are dealing with, not a grown man like the first..."

"A child who carries a demon within him!" she spat. "A child who could easily succumb to that destructive impulse that comes with it! A child guided by one of our own turned traitor and a lunatic masquerading as our ancestor! Do you honestly believe that any price is not worth eliminating any chance whatsoever for that monstrosity to gain a foothold in our clan?"

The room was silent. First Elder Takashi was the first to regain his composure, took over the floor.

"What you say has merit, Hinako. We will put it to a vote. All in favor of carrying out the original plans for Uzumaki Naruto, rise."

There were very few people in the room sympathetic to the blond boy; almost unanimously, the Hyuuga Advisory Council came to its collective feet.

"Very well," said the First, "Draft the letter, and be sure to forge the signature correctly. Uzumaki Naruto will depart on his final mission tonight."

A scribe hurried off to begin the task. Takashi turned to face Shinosuke.

"I am sorry for keeping you, Shinosuke-kun. You may go. Please send your master my thanks, and wish him a speedy recovery for me."

Bowing, Shinosuke left. He stuffed a hand in his left pocket and shuffled out the door, saluting the door guards in traditional fashion as he passed. Now the Advisory Council was alone, and the feeling of exultation returned.

"Let us go and present our evidence before our Revered Lord," said the First. "To hell with whose daughter it is... A future ruler must learn to associate with the right crowd. Demons are not welcome in the house of Hyuuga."

A cheer went up in the chamber.

"We have been patient. We have gathered the necessary proof, and we will be put off no longer!"

A second cheer, louder this time.

"If Hiashi-sama refuses us once more, then there shall be rioting! Violence between the factions! The civilian clansmen, all bearing the curse of the Caged Bird, will throw off their shackles and call for justice, even against their own Branch House kinsmen serving in our shinobi corps! Hiashi-sama, being the soft-hearted man that he has become, will not use force against his own people. We will break him, and we will oust him, and we will have the strong and wise leader that the Hyuuga deserve!"

The third and final cheer nearly blasted the door off of its hinges.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto was discontent. The morning light, the smells of food in the streets, and the memory of last night's complete victory did not help. Everyone within a stone's throw of him could tell that he was not happy, and those who remembered the Naruto of three years past knew that trouble was liable to follow in the wake of a discontent Uzumaki.

He paid these people no heed. He paid no one any heed at all, so great was his disappointment. For the first time in three years, Naruto walked right by Ichiraku's ramen restaurant and was not compelled to enter and have a bowl. He distantly returned the friendly waves of his comrades—Ino, Kiba, Chouji, Lee, and others frowned when he went by, knowing that something was very wrong with their blond friend but unsure how to help. Naruto acknowledged them silently in the back of his mind, and felt glad to have such good friends, but talking to them would do little good. He needed someone who knew his distress intimately, who would be able to turn this bad situation into something that he could use.

The dreary march went on all through the village until the sun finally passed out of the clear sky and became lost in the shroud of the black thunderheads. Then it went on some more.

_Every time I get close,_ he thought, _I find out I'm further away than I ever was. _

He looked up into the darkened sky, as if the answer he sought might somehow be hidden up there, a cryptic message in the clouds.

_Where the hell are you, you bastard? _

Thunder boomed over his head, mocking his thoughts. Frustrated, he grabbed a rock from the side of the street and flung it as hard as he could straight up, seeking to maim the brewing squall for its audacity.

"Damn it!" Naruto yelled. "If you would just come home, or at least show your ugly mug so that Sakura and I could drag you home, then I could move on to more important things! More fun things. Agh! Ite... less painful things..."

He picked up the rock, which had fallen back down onto his head, and crushed it in his hand. The fragments fell back to earth from between his fingers. His hand bled slightly where a few of the shards had broken the skin. The pain of these wounds, coupled with the pain in his head, momentarily distracted him from the pain in his soul, and he grew calmer.

Naruto sighed, letting go of his frustration. He tried to fill the void it left with happier thoughts: thoughts of the golden days before Sasuke had left, memories of the journeying he'd done with Keisuke and Haruka and Ero-Sennin, thoughts of what he would do when all of this had blown over...

The blond saw himself atop the Hokage tower, proudly bearing the mantle of the Rokudaime. Behind him stood Tsunade, beaming at her successor, Haruka and Keisuke standing side-by-side with Ero-Sennin behind them, raising drinks in his honor. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke stood on his left, each one proud to be up there with him. In a semicircle at their backs were Naruto's comrades and friends: Neji, Tenten, Lee, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Shino, each one resplendent in his or her ANBU uniform.

In his left hand, he held the head of Kyuubi by its ears. The villagers, crowding in the streets below, looked upon it and chanted his name in tribute.

And standing at his right hand, in a place that had once been occupied by Sakura and been empty for years after she'd left it, stood...

"Hinata," said Naruto. He was no longer surprised to see her in that place in his grand vision; she'd been there for several days. He sighed again.

"Why now?" he asked the gods for the umpteenth time. "I liked her since the first Chuunin exam, all that time ago. Before that, I had never taken a second look at her. Afterward, I saw her for what she was—a kind, strong person who tried her hardest to improve herself. A lot like me, really. She changed a lot, and by the time I left I felt like we were kinda kindred spirits, but nothing more."

Resting his hands behind his head and looking once more to the sky, he wondered, "As far as I can tell, she was still the same person when I came back... so what changed?"

He walked on through the dimly lit midday, seeking answers in solitude.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata sat alone on a bench by a fountain in the plaza. For the first time in days she was out in the village without her new bodyguard. She missed his constant presence at her side and the humorous antics that he put on every day to her amusement. It felt odd, almost as though she were missing her right arm.

She had taken the news of his assignment's end in stride, of course, though it made her sad. She was resolved to get used to not seeing him for long periods of time. She'd gone three years without seeing hide nor hair of him, so she could wait a while longer. Plus, she knew that Keisuke was right; things would begin to change, and hopefully soon.

She was about to end her short respite, pick up her bags and head home, but once again, fate intervened. As she got to her feet, she found the Number One Most Surprising Ninja standing before her. Fear stole over her, and she had to fight the urge to look over her shoulder to see if any Hyuuga were watching nearby. Since Naruto's mission was over, they had no reason to be seen together, and any violation of her father's ultimatum could cost her the right of succession.

She tried to keep her face cool and composed, attempted to look past him rather than at him. Moving forward through the throng of people, she tried to push past him.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun," she said, not quite succeeding at keeping her voice calm. "Please excuse me, I was just leaving..."

Naruto put his heavy hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She fought panic, tried to think of the best way to extricate herself without offending him, but her mind had begun to go foggy.

The blond shinobi spoke, and his voice was layered thickly with dark and sad undertones. "Hinata," he said, "Do you think we could talk for a minute? Someplace quiet?"

Her pearly white eyes locked onto his blue ones instantaneously. Hinata knew from the heaviness of his voice and the darkness in his normally sparkling irises that he was not himself. Somewhere inside of him, a wound had opened. Fear of discovery was wiped out; no matter what the circumstances were, the Hyuuga heiress could not, would not stand to see the Jinchuuriki suffer so. Besides, if they moved quickly, they could go someplace secluded before her clansmen had a chance to find them.

"Lead the way, Naruto-kun."

Staring into wide, concerned, liquid pools of white, Naruto found the answer to one of his questions.

_It's because she looks into my eyes now,_ he thought.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Every time I think I've found a lead, every time I take a step forward, the path disappears under my feet," he said. Naruto sat with his back to an ancient oak tree with his legs splayed out in front of him, pouring out his worries. Hinata knelt at his side, drinking it in, listening with quiet composure.

"Three years ago, I couldn't stop Sasuke from going to Orochimaru. Even though I borrowed power from the damned fox, I still couldn't stop him..."

"You were younger then, Naruto-kun," offered Hinata gently. "You believed—falsely—that the Kyuubi could give you the strength you needed, while greater strength slept within you, untapped. Your most powerful ability wasn't in the fight, so you lost, but even so you gave it your greatest effort. You should commend yourself for that, not damn yourself."

"My best effort didn't keep Sasuke in Konoha. And the mistakes just piled on after that: Mizuki, the Bikouchuu mission..."

"Mizuki wasn't your fault," Hinata pointed out. "He didn't know anything to begin with. How could you have known?"

"All right, I give you that, but it was still a waste of time," he said. His voice was rising, desperate to get his fears and worries off of his chest.

"And then that time right after I found Keisuke again, when that pansy Kabuto attacked... we could have stopped him from escaping, made him talk, and gone to the Snake bastard's hidey-hole right then."

Hinata had not heard anything of this one, so she kept silent.

"And now, after all of the time and effort I've put into becoming stronger, I can't fight my way through a mob of cronies fast enough to catch Sasuke. If he was even there, that is... if he wasn't, then I was just wasting my time _again..._

"I'm worried, Hinata. Really worried. What if we don't find him in time, and Orochimaru takes over his body? How will I get him back then? And then, every second that passes without us finding him makes Sasuke stronger—what if, when I find him, I've wasted so much time that he's impossible to take down? Worse yet... what if I can't just knock him out and drag him home? What if... what if I have to kill him?"

The strain of speaking these words caused him to fall silent. He sat leaning heavily against the tree, fists clenched and shaking.

The words wrenched Hinata's heart. The poor boy was killing himself with guilt. Aching to succor him, she reached her small hands out, clasped his trembling right fist between them. Naruto looked up at her, blue eyes wide. This was the second time that she had done this since he had come home. It had an eerie calming effect, caused his fist to relax and stop shaking.

Hinata clasped the fist tightly, hugged it to her chest. Her eyes stared down at it, not meeting his face, concentrating on easing his pain from the extremity inward. When the hand stopped shaking, she opened her mouth.

"That won't happen," she said. "That definitely won't happen."

"Hinata..."

"I said it to you once, a long time ago, and I stand by it. For every mistake you make, for every setback you encounter, you take a step forward. I have told you that you are a truly strong person, because you are knocked down and have the strength to get up, and because the accomplishment of getting back up makes you stronger still.

"Even in your failure last night, you made progress. If nothing else, you know one more place _not _to look for your lost teammate... and you've proven that you are far stronger than any ordinary Sound shinobi."

Her head shot up to meet his gaze. Naruto looked into her eyes, and saw that they were wet with unshed tears, yet at the same time there was a blazing fire within them that no tears could quench.

_So this is what I've been missing, all that time when she blushed and turned away. To think I saw her as a shy, dark weirdo then... I've never seen anything like her now!_

"You are stronger than any person in this village!" she said. Her voice rang out in the forest, drowned out the birdsong, drove away darkness as an intense heat banishes still water. "You have been ridiculed, neglected, shunned almost all of your life, and yet you come out of it as one of the kindest, most caring and innocent people that the world has ever known. You are the unwilling host of a beast that killed thousands, yet you are nothing like that creature; you save the village every day by keeping him locked away!"

The tears started to fall now, but the fire in her irises burned hotter than ever. Naruto was the fire's willing captive, unable to move, slow to think or speak. He felt the small, pale hands that clutched at his right arm squeeze tighter, nearly cutting off the circulation to his hand.

"You're the strongest," she said, her voice cracking. Her head began to fall back down to his hand. "You should be the hero and the role model of this village, but you're not. Only to me..."

Only to her. Thinking back on it, Naruto could remember the first time he had really noticed Hinata. Sakura had hit the nail on the head back then... _"She was always watching you..."_

No one else had watched him. No one else had really cared until recently. More and more people were beginning to respect him these days, but she had done so since before he had even invented the Sexy no Jutsu...

He was feeling better now. He reached his left hand around and put it lightly on her shoulder. It felt awkward to him, and the constriction of his captive right hand was beginning to pain him, but he took little notice.

Hinata's head snapped back up to look at him. It was her turn to show the wide, surprised eyes.

"Hinata," he said. "Thank you. Just like in the old days, you managed to bring me back to myself. I owe you twice over for that now."

"Ah..." The fog rushed in to fill the space where Hinata's brain used to be. She smelled the faint scent of ramen, the light fragrance of summertime mixed in with a powerful, strong, masculine smell. She was suddenly very conscious of the hand that she held close to her breast, and the blue eyes that she had only moments ago held captive were now her captors.

"Na... Naruto-kun..."

Haruka found her way into her mind. _One little push... he'll fall right into your arms!_ He was damned near there already...

Keisuke intruded next: _Just wait a little while. Circumstances will improve. _Could they be any better right now?

Her cousin Neji: _You are so much stronger now, Hinata-sama. _Damned straight. Man, Naruto-kun's arm is toned...

Sakura: _If he doesn't fall for you now, he's a complete idiot! _Girl, you will wish you'd never turned him down...

Her father: _I cannot permit it. I will not. _Shut up, you stupid old man...

This was the moment. It had to be. They had just spilled their guts out to each other; how could they not move forward after this? Steeling her nerves, fighting through the fog in her head, Hinata prepared to speak the words that would change her life forever.

"Naruto-kun... I..."

"Are going to come with us, back to the house to explain yourself, Hinata-sama."

Hinata's eyes snapped into focus. There was Naruto in front of her. His left hand rested on her shoulder, his right hand in her grasp. His mouth was smiling appreciatively and his eyes were... closed? Shocked, Hinata could not react to push the comatose Naruto away, and his weight bore her to the ground with him on top of her. A tiny dart protruded from the back of his neck.

"Very cute, Hinata-sama," said the owner of the dart gun, "But I'm afraid I'll need to toss out the trash on top of you. You need to be reasonably clean for your appointment with the Advisory Council." Hinata recognized him as Hiroto's man, one of the two who had tried to collect her while Naruto had fought Hiroto.

"What does the council want with me?" she asked. Gently, she disentangled herself from Naruto before the man could "toss him out." _If anyone is trash here, it is you,_ she thought vehemently. _If I have anything to say about it, you are not going to touch him._

A low chuckle answered her from the shadows, announcing the presence of Hiroto's other flunky. "As if you couldn't guess," he said. "They're going to present evidence before our Revered Lord, Hiashi-sama, which will prove that you have broken the ultimatum leveled against you. Hopefully, I will have more evidence to provide by the time the trial begins..."

He waved a camera at her, wagging it as a mother would wag her finger at her child to express disappointment.

"Tsk tsk, Hinata-sama. How naughty we've been." He and his accomplice laughed together.

"They will find you guilty, and then they will give you the treatment, Hinata-sama," continued the first one. "They'll take you into a little room, where nobody can see or hear you, and they'll make you one of us." He pointed at his forehead, where the plated headband concealed the mark of the Caged Bird.

Hinata regarded them with defiance in her eyes. It was the best that she could do to fight down the dread creeping up in her.

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"What the hell is in that woman's head?"

Keisuke stamped about his house in confusion and fury. Since they had emerged from the bowels of the ancient dungeon, the blind man had been unable to get a single word out of Haruka, not even a taunt or a jest. Though he had tried numerous times to speak to her since then, the woman had executed an about face and walked briskly away each time.

"First she talks to me like a spitting cobra in that hell hole, and now she's deliberately avoiding me. What the hell did I _do?_"

He sank into one of the only pieces of furniture in the house—a large cushioned chair. Sitting there and brooding over the matter, he recalled Haruka's last words to him...

"_What's gotten into you, besides your new partner?"_

"New partner... who does she think that is? I've only had one partner in the last two years..."

In answer, a set of hands came into view in his mind, accompanied by traditional Hyuuga-style robes.

"Neji?" he thought aloud. "She can't be serious. We may have been working together on this mission, and I do happen to like the guy, but so what? Haruka and I have been working together almost since we met. Why would she be jealous of Neji for working with me for a few days? It's ridiculous, that's what it is."

_She might not see it that way, _came a voice from the back of his head.

"Bah!" Keisuke replied. "We've never seen eye-to-eye, the Sadist and me..."

_This time it is different. This time, the integrity of your partnership is questioned._

"The integrity of... By the gods! I'll never understand you women..."

_Men aren't supposed to understand. It isn't in their nature to understand._

Keisuke sighed. "Then help me, Yuka," he whispered to no one. "If I'm not meant to understand, then what _am_ I supposed to do?"

No answer came. Instead, Keisuke heard footsteps in his hallway. Perking his head up and extending his feelers, he found the familiar Hyuuga aura. Its owner stood before him in her usual tough pants and a sleeveless silk shirt. The studded leather armbraces were in order, as was the braid in her long black hair.

But her whole appearance seemed frayed. There were numerous loose strands in her braid, and the pants and shirt seemed to be wrinkled in places. The aura was slow-churning and sluggish, tainted with a gnawing darkness.

The blind man gestured to a chair at the other end of the room. "Come in. Have a seat," he offered.

Haruka did not move. Her aura did not change.

"You came here to talk, am I right? I rather think we need to. Can I offer you a drink?"

The aura remained dim and unresponsive. It was as though Haruka did not recognize him.

"Are you there?" he questioned. He crossed the room to wave an arm in her face. "Hello? It's me, remember? Blind idiot?"

The aura brightened a moment, as if hope had flickered in her. Keisuke thought he'd reached her, and walked back across the room to his chair.

"Please, sit down, Haruka."

The aura dimmed again, as though the owner had not found what it had been hoping to find.

"I don't know you," she said. Turning, she shuffled out of the door.

Keisuke fury returned to him. "Damn it, Haruka!" he yelled. "Damn you for being so territorial! I am not your property!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he bit his tongue. He had no idea what had caused him to say them.

The sounds of the retreating footfalls paused a moment. Then, when Keisuke did not speak again, they resumed, growing ever quieter until, at last, they passed beyond range of his hearing.

"I will never understand women," he said.

_You know this, and yet you continue to try. Why do you think she is so territorial, so jealous of Neji?_

He paused a moment, considered.

"You know what, Yuka? I rather believe I'm scared to find out."

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"Naruto! Naruto, wake up!"

Inexplicably groggy, Naruto had to work hard to make his eyelids work. He struggled with them for several long moments before he finally pried them open. He found himself in his own bedroom. And sitting beside the bed was...

"Sakura?"

"Thank goodness," breathed the pink-haired medic. "We didn't know what it was that you were hit with, at first, but it turned out not to be lethal. Still, it's good to see you awake."

"What am I doing here? Where's Hinata?"

"She is with her clan," said another woman's voice. "She is attending a meeting of the Hyuuga Advisory Council, answering for misdemeanor..."

"Tsunade obaa-chan!" Naruto gasped. He had not expected her here. Then her words registered. "What do you mean, misdemeanor? She was pretty well-behaved as far as I could tell. I know I'm not the best with etiquette and all that, but..."

"No," said Tsunade, "Though undoubtedly some of the more craven members of the council would snipe at her for such a trivial thing, her etiquette has been perfect. The misdemeanor she conducted was the breaking of a certain condition laid down by the council for her eligibility as Hiashi's heiress. The punishment will likely be the stripping of her right of succession."

"They can't do that!" Naruto responded. He sat up suddenly, startling Sakura, who had been checking his blood pressure.

"Like it or not, Naruto, they can," said the young medic. "It's their clan, not yours. Now lay back down and hold still for a moment, please..."

Naruto obliged her grudgingly, but did not relinquish his argument.

"What the hell," he said. "Hinata's a great person, a strong person... I can't see any reason why they wouldn't want to fall to their knees and serve her the rest of her life..."

"They have the Byakugan. They can see into people's hearts, but they have problems judging them fairly and correctly. For things like that, we have gullible, innocent, guileless people like you, Naruto," Tsunade said. Hokage and rebel shared a quick smile at the playful insult.

"Even so, there is nothing we can do for her lawfully," continued Tsunade. "I'll make sure to question Hiashi about that unprovoked knockout dart, though. Anyway, if you are well, I have another assignment for you..."

"Damn, a mission now? I'm still dizzy from that drug..."

"You'll be fine in an hour or so," said Sakura. "That Kyuubi is good for one thing, if nothing else; I've never seen such quick regeneration in a human before."

"Hehe... I guess you're right," said Naruto.

"Your mission," continued Tsunade, "Will be in Nano Country. I have a letter here from the Daimyo, Haruna—I believe you may remember her..."

Naruto nodded. "Yep. Right around the time I was getting ready to leave. Not very nice at first, but she turned out to be a good person."

Tsunade smiled. "That's good. The letter says that Haruna will be traveling by ground to a neighboring country to settle a trade dispute with the Daimyo there. She has heard that you returned to Konoha, and she requested that you be sent as special escort."

"Another guard detail," Naruto said. "It's boring, that's for sure, but I'll enjoy seeing Haruna and Yurinojou again. Say, I thought you weren't sending me out of town anymore because of Akatsuki danger?"

"It's true that the Konoha council doesn't want me to send you out too far on your own," she said, "And I agree with them. But Nano Country is fairly close to Konoha and you'll be working alongside at least one other skilled ninja, so you should be relatively safe. Besides, I always did like the Nano Country... Just go there, do your job, and get back as fast as you can. Now, you ought to get ready... You'll need to leave by tonight if you want to make it on time."

Tsunade gave him a last quick smile, then left him with Sakura.

The medic finished her work, regarded her blond teammate with a knowing look. "You don't want to go."

"As much as I'm looking forward to seeing more old friends, you're right... I don't," he said.

"You're worried about her, aren't you."

"Kinda. I don't trust Hiroto or his guys... putting me in a coma like that just so they can 'ask' Hinata to go with them... damned cowards, who knows what they'll do."

Sakura gave a small sigh. "I know what they'll do," she said. "I heard them talking about it when they dumped you in front of the hospital. They said..."

The pink-haired medic-nin gulped, thinking of the terrible thing that was about to happen to her friend, "They said that Hinata was going to join the Branch House. They're going to force the Caged Bird seal on her."

Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for Naruto to blow up in rage. She was surprised when the explosion didn't come.

The blond teenage ninja got up from the bed, began pulling on his orange and black jacket and his hitai-ate headband. His face was perfectly composed, his movements smooth, not the jerky motions of a man possessed by fury.

"Naruto?"

"That won't happen," he said, his voice low and determined. "That definitely will not happen."

"You can't be thinking of marching in there and stopping them!"

"Can't I, Sakura? Tsunade obaa-chan said there was nothing we could do for her lawfully."

Sakura was horrified. "So you, Uzumaki Naruto, plan to take on the whole of the Hyuuga clan by yourself?"

"If that's what it takes." Naruto shrugged.

"My god... you're serious, aren't you?" said Sakura. "You know you could easily get killed, right? Most of the Hyuuga never bothered to give you a chance; you're still the 'demon child' to them."

Naruto grimaced at that thought. "I'll think of something."

"Geez. Why, all of a sudden, are you going to such extremes for Hinata?" Sakura had a reason in mind, but there was no way to be sure, with Naruto.

Naruto pointed to his headband. "Since Iruka-sensei gave me this, a long time ago, I swore: I will always protect my precious people. It doesn't matter what I lose in doing it."

Sakura smiled. It seemed that Hinata's greatest wish was finally being granted, if a little late.

"And also," Naruto said, catching her attention once more, "In chuunin exams three years ago, I promised Neji that I would change the Hyuuga. I was going to wait until I became Hokage to do it, but it looks like I might have to give them their first lesson a little sooner than I planned."

The young medic was astonished. _Who stole the Naruto with the one-track mind, the one who thought responsibility was the Eighth Deadly Sin? _Still, this meant that Keisuke-san would be pleased, as well, so she couldn't complain. That didn't stop her from worrying about her teammate, though.

"Well, I guess I can't stop you," she said. "But please, Naruto... be careful. Team seven can't afford to lose any more members."

Looking back from the doorway, Naruto flashed his trademark fox-grin. "Don't worry about that. I can't die, not until I've saved Sasuke and become Hokage. As long as I have a promise to keep, I'm invincible."

With that said, he walked out of his apartment towards his fate.

Sakura sat in his room, wondering when he'd found time to rearrange his furniture and wishing she could believe in his so-called invincibility. However, when she looked to his mangled bedsheets, at the photograph that had fallen out of his clothing, she began to feel a little more confident in him.

"Nice angle, Haruka-san," she remarked with a smile. It was the first photograph from the incident at Ichiraku's.

Outside, the crash of thunder could be heard. Raindrops began to patter on Naruto's window.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Nineteen OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	22. C20: Guilt, Pain, & Sacrifice

**A/N: **Somebody finally disagreed with me in a review last chapter. I've been waiting for that forever.

I know you guys are just dying to get to the chapter, so I won't bore you with my crappy author notes any more than necessary today. With out any ado whatsoever, here is...

**Chapter Twenty: Guilt, Pain, and Sacrifice**

Haruka was alone.

Her normally proud bearing was diminished. Her long black braid, which on any other day would be whipping in the wind as she soared over rooftops and through trees, hung limply against her back as she trudged slowly through the damp streets. The rain soaked her to the marrow, and the blaze in her silvery eyes had gone out.

For the first time in two years, she had no one. Hinata was absorbed in Naruto, a product of Haruka's own machinations. Naruto was absorbed in her, and in finding the missing Uchiha genius. She would have welcomed even Jiraiya at this point, but he had not been in the village since bringing Naruto home. Her fellow Hyuuga, with the exception of Neji and Hinata, had alienated her. Returning to them would cause the old hatred of the "Kin-Abandoner" to come to a boil again, and Neji had his own duties to attend to... plus Haruka had her own reasons not to want to be around him.

And Keisuke...

The blind man was lost to Haruka. Their partnership—the only real reason that they had to stay around each other—had been broken. It was no fault of Neji's that Keisuke preferred the younger Hyuuga's expertise and quiet composure to her crackling fire and determination, yet even now, after the fact, she still could not help but feel bitter. Earlier, when she had visited Keisuke's house, she had intended to take out her bitterness on the blind man rather than the innocent Neji.

But when she had come into the house, she had not found Keisuke. She had found a kindly host, a benevolent blind cripple who had invited her to come in, sit down, have some refreshment, and talk things over. This wasn't the man that she had come to beat on. This blind man was a total stranger to her, a mockery of kindness that had stolen her old partner's body. Unable to remain, she had walked away.

The angry outcry that had followed her out the door had given her a fleeting hope. Perhaps the Keisuke she wanted still lived there somewhere after all... but there had been no more words after that. Disappointed, she had kept walking.

She walked into a world of soul-darkness, where nothing and no one offered succor for the feeling of wretchedness that was to come. Not far beyond the gates of Keisuke's house, she had been accosted by a middle-aged Hyuuga woman—the same woman that had "greeted" her when she had first walked into the Hyuuga compound to see Hiashi. Some of Haruka's fire had returned, and it had burned black; for Haruka ached to fill the void in her soul, and violence seemed to be a suitable candidate, even if the woman was an untrained civilian.

"_Not contemplating murder, are we, Kin-abandoner?"_ the woman had said. _"Not about to become the Kin-murderer, are you?"_

The words had stopped Haruka from throttling her; the last thing the outcast wanted to do was to become worse than her father. But the black fire in her heart had burned hotter still, rising higher and higher until she thought it would consume her.

"_It is well that you do not kill me,"_ continued the woman, _"For if the ANBU imprisoned you, you would be unable to see for yourself the doom for your cause that has come about by your own hands. You would not be able to look upon Hyuuga Hinata's forehead and beg her for forgiveness."_

Haruka had stood before her, dumbfounded, disbelieving. "_Wha-what?"_

"_Ah, how utterly heartless of me. It never occurred to me that you would forget to check your pockets and count the number of photographs there... but then, nobody thought to tell me that my dear sister's death had been in vain until several days after the fact..."_

Cursing the memory and cursing herself, Haruka forced herself to keep moving through the rain, searching for the reassurance that would never come, searching for the rallying voice that had died in a blind man's throat.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Damn her, damn her, damn her!"

A human whose eye sockets were empty and shadowed plowed through the sheets of rainwater, struggling to feel for his footing through the heavy precipitation. His sunglasses had been lost when he had stumbled into a telephone pole and snapped them. His brown hair was matted to his head, and his waterlogged clothes dragged him down. All of this, combined with his already-sour mood, flung him into a madness that threatened to exterminate all common sense.

"If not for her cursed belief of owning me, I could be at home, warm and dry, or else doing something useful like figuring out how to get Naruto another Hyuuga-related mission... Damn her, making me come out here!"

Of course, he could have been at home or at work anyway, but the memory of her last words to him gnawed and pulsed in his guts. Despite what he wanted to be doing, he was compelled to enter the downpour.

"_I don't know you..."_

"Well then, allow me to refresh your memory, Sadist!"

After two more minutes of searching, he felt the familiar aura—more tainted than ever with darkness—and leaped to catch up.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Through the inky blackness of her mind and the heavy rain, Haruka nonetheless felt the old and puissant presence at her back before it touched down. Daring to dream that Keisuke was back, that her favorite punching bag had finally come forward, she straightened and turned her head to look at him.

She beheld the same kindness, the same concerned facial expression, the same subdued spirit. And though it was more ragged, more worn than when she had last seen it, all of this was still firmly ensconced in Keisuke's tall, dark, and eyeless form. The body tormented her; that the face and arms and chest and legs that once belonged to her upright, easily annoyed, occasionally lazy, and always entertaining partner and rival now was inhabited by this soft and unfamiliar spirit widened the hole in her.

Still, she had to at least acknowledge its presence.

"Oh," she said, "It's you." She faced front again and continued walking.

The blind stranger followed. "Please, Haruka," he said. "Let's sit down and talk about this. We can't keep this up."

Still walking, unwilling to look back at the monstrosity that possessed her partner's body, she replied from behind the safety of her turned back.

"It's nice of you to want to help me," she said, "But I fear there is little you can do. Please, leave me in peace." Her voice matched the kindness that came from the loathed being's stolen mouth. It had the intended effect; the footsteps of her follower ended and did not resume. Satisfied that she'd been left alone with her misery, she walked on...

Right into a lightning-charged fist. The blow corkscrewed her in the stomach, sending the painful zing of electricity coursing through her and knocking her backwards. Staggering back into her balance, coughing up her broken stupor, Haruka barely had time to block the second blow. This time, the shock was less severe, and she kept her feet. Enraged at having her soul-search disrupted, she brought her eyes up, popping them into full Byakugan flower, to glare with black and silver rage at her attacker.

The assailant had no eyes, the sockets crackling with power in the rain. His fist, caught between her two hands, was connected to an arm that glowed white-hot with a shining, elaborate seal, written in a language that no human alive, save one, could read. The seal extended itself across well-muscled, tanned arms and chest, bringing the force of the storm into his aura. Fanning out from the chakra circulatory system into the air, connected at the tenketsus, were twenty-eight thin tendrils, pulsing with the sickly blue-yellow chakra that only two people in the whole of the world possessed.

Keisuke yanked his fist back towards his body. Haruka did not release it quickly enough, and was jerked forward. Another hand came up towards her head. Though she was able to juke her head to the side, the hand missed only by a hair, dislodging the black headband that concealed her forehead. The Caged Bird seal was visible, burning with the same blue-yellow chakra.

"What the hell?" she said, twisting away and coming to rest in a Jyuuken stance. "What are you doing?"

"If you are Hyuuga Haruka, as I believe you to be," said the eyeless one, "Then my intent is to test you. Somewhere within you sleeps the heart of a warrior, a Sadist who revels in battle and in triumph. It has become shrouded in self-deception and groundless anger for a crime that was committed only in your mind." He drew himself up to his full height, towering imperiously in the squall. Lighting was his blood, thunder his voice.

"I will bring the Sadist forward again. If I cannot, then Hyuuga Haruka is dead. You say you do not know me... Fight me as you used to, know me better, and then know yourself!"

Before a reply could escape Haruka's lips, he had charged, and his kunai knives flashed in the blaring lightning. He fought with a relentless tenacity that stopped her mouth and forced her to grit her teeth, parry, and return the favor. She knocked aside one blade, allowing the second to nick her arm as she brought it to bear against his chest. The blow lost momentum, scored only a partial hit, bringing the jolt of electricity from the crackling Kokuin seal. Howling in rage, she stepped inside, underneath his arm, and drove a second bolt into his side. Now Keisuke cried out in pain, and he coughed up blood to accompany it. Smiling in her small triumph, Haruka attacked with a will.

Within moments, all thought of talk was banished. The two combatants whirled at and around each other in the torrential rain, trading electricity and chakra faster than Naruto could shell out money for ramen. Haruka forgot her misery and her guilt, threw herself at Keisuke with the intent to maim, crush, kill, ignoring the pain of the lightning that singed her whenever she landed a blow. Keisuke's knives cut and hacked away at her, tearing cloth, biting flesh, missing bone my centimeters. His partner's words echoed in his lifebeat...

"_I don't know you... leave me in peace..."_

_Like hell, I'll leave you in peace, you great, bitchy Sadist._

The storm on the ground was louder than the storm from above. Blood dribbled from Keisuke's mouth, a token of the internal damage suffered from Jyuuken hits, and flowed out from the cuts he had made on his wayward partner. Hoarse battle shouts and cries of pain and bloodlust echoed in the heavens. Every blow struck brought the flash of lightning. Every parry sounded the crash of thunder.

At last, a well-timed foot sweep on Haruka's part sent Keisuke floundering off-balance, his back to her. Haruka saw the chance, and struck.

"**Jinsoku Hakke, Juuroku Sho!" **(Rapid Eight Trigams, Sixteen Strikes)

The burst of precise attacks struck sixteen tenketsus, some of them striking targets on Keisuke's back, others punching through skin and bone to affect tenketsus in front. The tenketsus were all located at critical joints: One in each hand, two in each forearm, one in each elbow, two in each shoulder, and two in each leg. It was an attack meant to instantly cripple chakra flow in a victim's limbs, used when the opponent is too skilled to be left open long enough for the Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho to work.

Of course, Keisuke, who possessed the Rokujuuyon Reiude, was immune to this chakra flow reduction. But that wasn't Haruka's goal; her real intention was to trigger the Ghostly Arms' reflexive action, which she did. The Kokuin seal of lightning was undone.

Crowing in victory, she lunged at the still-unbalanced blind man, a killing Jyuuken bolt massing in her palm. It struck the target in full force...

Resulting in one very angry Haruka staring at a shattered pot that had been housing a rather attractive shrubbery and which would not be housing anything else for a long time. Enraged, Haruka searched the area frantically with her Byakugan, but found nothing.

"Where are you, coward?" she cried.

"Here!" yelled a distant voice. Turning, she had just enough time to gasp in horror as the blind man sped toward her, a new seal shining on his skin. Haruka recognized Chisoku no Kokuin, the seal of speed. After his close shave with Kawarimi no Jutsu, he had run away, formed this seal, and was now using it to run at her so quickly that no Byakugan in the world would save her.

It might have worked, had Neji not used this tactic on her before, when he'd saved her from the Branch capture team. Haruka was more prepared this second time, and her hand came up, ready to unleash the fury of her chakra upon him.

Keisuke recognized the stance and position, but his momentum was too far forward for him to change it. Grimacing, he readied his attack in spite of the pain that he knew would be coming, locking one Ghostly Arm onto her sternum.

The heavens sang the song of their deadly clash.

"**Reiude Ninpou: Katsuchi Daigeki!" **(Ghostly Arm Secret Art: Fire Lightning Strike)

"**Jyuuken Hou: Hakke Kusho!" **(Gentle Fist Move: Eight Trigams Empty Palm)

Blue chakra tinted with an unhealthy-looking yellow whirled from Haruka's palm, while lightning-fast flames lanced out along Keisuke's Ghostly Arm, incinerating it. The flames went right through the center of the whirling chakra, catching and igniting it, while at the same time disrupting the spin. Both Haruka and Keisuke were blasted off their feet, their clothing aflame. Keisuke smashed into a stone wall and was buried in rubble, which smothered the flames. Haruka skidded backwards across grass and mud, coming to rest at last in a deep puddle.

Neither one laid still. Keisuke picked his way out of the debris, his face and skin a mess of cuts and scrapes, his mouth dribbling dark blood. Haruka rolled in the puddle to douse the lingering fire, and sloshed her way to her feet. Abrasions, burns, and the marks of Keisuke's knives marred her appearance.

Breathing heavily, she spoke above the rain. "Been borrowing, I see. That's Naruto-kun's Daigeki technique..."

"Look who's talking, Hyuuga Neji," returned Keisuke, referencing the Hakke Kusho that their mutual friend was fond of using.

"Don't compare me with him!" yelled Haruka. Fire the color of silver lightning blazed in her Byakugan eyes.

"I don't," replied Keisuke. His voice was full of mocking humor, the satanic smile forming on his face. "After all, it isn't your fault that you're so untalented, nor that it's so entertaining to rub your nose in it."

He regretted the words the moment they left his throat. The gleam in her eye foretold swift death. For once, though he had no eyes, Keisuke thought he could see it.

"KEISUKE!" Haruka suddenly found her strength again, though her blood mingled with the mud underneath her and her charred skin pained her when she moved it.

The blind man felt her coming, but he could do nothing to prevent her. His own energy was spent, and every part of him ached. He retracted his Reiude, stood erect and proud, and prepared to die with honor at the hands of a rampaging female. _Ah, Jiraiya-san, _he thought sadly, _you would have been proud; to you, no other death is worth dying..._

The Toad Hermit was to be disappointed in Keisuke, however. Though he was smashed into the wall again painfully, the next thing the blind man felt was not the great hand of Death reaching out to claim him. Instead, two smaller, more human hands reached around and grabbed fistfuls of his shinobi vest. The cold rainwater that had soaked into his shirt was displaced by warmer, saltier moisture.

_Tears?_ Keisuke thought. _What the--? Haruka!_

He brought forth his Ghostly Arms again. Unable to believe, he sank them into her tenketsus. He did not have to tell her to surrender to them and let them in; they met no resistance, and the Synchronization took effect immediately. Keisuke struggled to get a picture, to see through Haruka's eyes, but they were closed tightly. Then, he heard a single, heaving sob, and the eyes opened, giving him a blurry picture. Haruka blinked the eyes twice, causing the picture to come into better focus.

Keisuke stared up into his own awe-struck face.

Startled, he snatched the Synchronization away. But he was unable to get the picture out of his mind. He had seen himself plenty of times from Haruka's eyes, but never had he seen it from the vantage point of his own chest.

He was about to ask, What the hell is your head doing in my aching gut, you crazy-ass Sadist? His words never got out because Haruka spoke first, her muffled voice rising from the folds of his shirt.

"Forgive, Keisuke!"

He was balked. Was this really Haruka? She was supposed to have murdered him, but now she was crying into his shirt, digging her fingers into his back, and asking forgiveness? He ran his feelers over her aura, looking for a hint of concealed evil, some subtle sign of illusion. He found only the silver-white heat, devoid of any darkness whatsoever, burning strongly in her. The true Hyuuga Haruka was back from the dead.

"Forgive what?" he asked. "If you mean your goddamned sense of human ownership and making me beat the shit out of us both, then you're already forgiven, Sadist. We used to do that kind of thing on a daily basis."

He felt the fire burn hotter. "Keisuke," she said, lifting her head so her voice was unmuffled, "I failed them! Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun, my clan, you... I failed them all!"

"Nonsense," Keisuke said, unconsiously putting an arm around her shoulders. "Sure, Naruto's mission is over and he still hasn't hooked up with Hinata-chan, but you still... ACK!"

Haruka had snapped her head back into his chest so quickly that it smacked a tender rib. "Blind idiot," she whispered brokenly, "All the progress I made for them, I undid in a single stroke, one moment of stupidity. Look at these!"

She drew something out of a pocket. Keisuke re-Synch'ed, using her eyes to view the photographs.

"Nice angle, Haruka," he murmured appreciatively. "Naruto and Hinata might get a kick out of that one..."

"That's the problem!" Haruka said. "Anyone would get a kick out of them! And they most certainly did..."

They stood in strained silence for a moment, the pattering rain the only noise. Then, guessing her meaning, Keisuke's face went dead white in horror. Hoping against hope that he was wrong, he asked the dreaded question.

"They?"

"The Advisory Council," Haruka said. "They found one of my photographs in the castle last night. They have the proof they need, and they're going to make Hinata-chan into a Caged Bird!"

The sound of the rain became the cacophony of Keisuke's dreams smashing into the ground like gargantuan meteors, burning with the air-friction of the descent. _No! A Caged Bird cannot fly, cannot succeed the clan! Naruto can't change the clan by marrying a Caged Bird! And there's no way, at this point, that he will consider anyone else, and no way that I would ruin his life by trying to make him! _The hand that had been around Haruka's shoulders smashed into the stone of the wall, leaving yet another crater.

"Damn it! How am I to fix _this _mess?"

"I don't see how you can, not without committing genocide against the council," said Haruka. Her face returned to his shirt, where fresh tears soaked into the fibers. "Forgive, Keisuke! Blind fool, please forgive!"

Keisuke couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't have the physical energy to do anything but lean against the wall and listen to fate destroy his ambition.

Then, abruptly, the rain ceased to fall on them. Through Haruka's eyes, he could see that an umbrella had been placed over their heads.

"Hold this, please," said the owner. "I need both hands to heal you."

"Sakura-san?"

"Just do it. We don't have a lot of time."

Haruka extricated herself from Keisuke. She held the umbrella for Sakura. "Heal the oaf first," she said. "He can't feel good, having been stepped on by the same woman for about the thousandth time."

The "oaf" did little more than grunt in annoyance and let Sakura in to do her work. When it was done, he was able to move with no pain, though his energy was as low as ever. Reaching into his vest, he withdrew a soldier pill, hoping that its nutrients would bring him back into fighting shape soon. Sakura seemed as though she had a plan of action in mind. After she had finished tending to Haruka, he inquired as to what it was.

"You may not know what to do about this," Sakura said, "But Naruto seems to."

The rain grew lighter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto hated stealth. In his earlier years, it had been the hardest concept for him to grasp, even more difficult for him to master. Here, however, it was essential. If he raised the alarm, the whole Hyuuga complex would boil forth and knock him silly, if not dead. So he kept his chakra low, his motions smooth and quiet, and his eyes and ears peeled.

He rested in the prone position on a rooftop over the largest building. Below him could be heard the voices of two men inside the building, talking heatedly, and many more voices quietly mumbling among themselves outside. Naruto chose not to bother himself with the latter; they were saying things that Sakura had been telling him earlier. Instead, he focused himself on the former, and was intrigued by what he heard.

"Takashi," said one man, "Please, reconsider this. The evidence is undeniable, that is true, but what has been proven is hardly worth the trouble of cursing Hinata! Look at this one, the two of them are barely brushing each other..."

"This one, however," said the second man, whose frail voice strongly contrasted the deep, resonant voice of his companion, "Is more explicit, I think..."

A pause, and then the first man changed his angle. "Takashi, my eldest daughter... she is fifteen now, and she has been groomed all her life to take my place. To thrust her so roughly into a far different role after so much..."

"Is irrelevant," interrupted the second. "We laid down strict guidelines for Hinata's behavior. She has broken them. The punishment will be carried out as dictated by that ultimatum. You cannot prevent it."

"Can I not?" said the first man thickly, "I am, after all, the head of this clan." Naruto guessed that this must be the current Hyuuga patriarch, Hinata's father.

"It is true, you do have the executive power to stop the procedure. But do you know what would happen if you did, Hiashi?" The old man's voice became a low wheeze, and he was beginning to sound pleased with himself.

"You have executive power, Hiashi, but the civilian populace—all of them members of the Branch House—is rapidly losing respect for that office. They have turned to a more organized, civilized body for leadership. They could be made to rise against you, Hiashi, every single one. Would you kill every last innocent life in the clan because they wanted to make their own fate? There was once a Hyuuga Hiashi that might have, but he is dead."

"Takashi... please, she is my eldest daughter, fifteen... you know that the process is more painful for older children. I don't want her to go through that..."

"Yes, a sad thought, but we must banish it from our minds, Hiashi. You have another daughter to think about now, your true successor... Leadership qualities seem to run with the second-born in your line, don't they?"

A long, dark silence.

"You will not impose guilt upon me, Takashi," Hiashi said. "It is true that I have often wished it was Hizashi who had succeeded the clan. However, the fact of the matter is that he did not. I govern this clan, not he. You or I cannot change that."

"No, unfortunately, we cannot. But we can pick and choose who will succeed this time... and just like you, that successor will be under our thumb, Hiashi."

Naruto almost broke his cover. He'd thought Hinata's father was a mean old fart after sending the bastard Hiroto to drag her off, but the way he was being spoken to was so unfair, especially since he was an authority figure. Not that he himself showed much respect towards authority figures, but when he became Hokage, he would never allow anyone to speak to him like that.

He heard Takashi open the door in preparation to depart. His comrades outside cheered him. "Hiashi," he said, "My colleagues and I will be in our conference room, if you need us. Feel free to go down south to the branding chamber to watch, if you wish. It may not be pretty, but at least Hinata will be comforted knowing that her loving father is there."

The door closed. The council marched off to their victory party.

Naruto cautiously stood up, careful not to make noise. _South end, _he thought. _That's where they'll be..._

Hiashi's voice, broken and pleading, could be heard from below. "I pray to whatever gods who listen," he said. "Please, please help my daughter..."

_I'm no god, old man, _thought Naruto, _but Hinata's in good hands. I promise._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Hyuuga Lieutenant in charge of escorting Hyuuga Hinata to the branding chamber was very smug as he led the way to the south end of the complex. He'd been given a task force of fifteen Hyuuga for the job, but he hardly thought it was necessary; after all, who in the world would defy the council now? Nobody who wanted to live comfortably, that was certain. Hell, the Kyuubi child was already on his way to die because he crossed the council...

He was so sure that nothing could possibly go wrong that he did not even take notice of the blond teen in orange until he was practically on top of him.

"Huh?" he said with an air of annoyance, "Get outta the way, kid..." The Lieutenant moved to push past him, and was greeted by the sky as the kid grabbed hold of him and heaved him into the air.

"Naruto-kun!" cried the voice of his charge. The words were simultaneously full of hope and laced with fear.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**

Flipping over in midair, the Lieutenant looked down to see a force of eight Narutos crash headlong into his fifteen men. They were more prepared than he had been; only three of them fell to the initial onslaught, and the rest grappled with the clones, holding their own against them but not causing much damage.

Still, it was more than the Lieutenant had managed. He was supposed to be leading them, and here he was just coming to the end of his upward flight, doing nothing while his underlings fought! _And_ he had completely relaxed his guard when he should not have, disregarding the fact that the Kyuubi boy had no respect for authority and not realizing that he might have been coming here regardless of what he'd been told to do! He'd get demoted for sure! Frantic, he though about what aid he might be able to give from his position. After a few seconds, he had an idea.

"Seize the girl, don't let her go!" he shouted. He lobbed a smoke bomb at the thrashing melee.

He saw one of his men take hold of Hinata just before the bomb hit and, satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere, activated his Byakugan. Even with those eyes, it was difficult to see clearly in the thick, dark smog, but he could still make out the outlines of humans, and so could his men. The Naruto clone force was quickly eviscerated.

"Into the branding chamber, quickly, lest there are more of them!" shouted the Lieutenant. "Turn your Byakugans off, as well, don't activate the defense mechanism!" he added as an afterthought.

Deactivating his own Byakugan, he landed on his feet and rushed for the door behind his men, closing and locking the heavy metal door behind him. There was no way the Kyuubi kid could get in now, and if he did, the noise would have the whole clan after him, so he'd never get out alive. Turning, he grinned at his captive.

"No one coming to save you now, Hinata-_sama,_" he said. His voice dripped with acid on the honorific.

The Hyuuga girl regarded him with fiery, defiant eyes, but did not speak. _Playing the uppity Main Houser, but too scared to back it up, _he thought with a mental chuckle. Smiling evilly, he led his prisoner to the lone chair in the center of the chamber.

On the floor, walls, and ceiling there glowed and eerie green seal—the chamber's defense mechanism. Most people who came here to get branded were children who couldn't use the Byakugan, but there were rare cases like this teenager who were capable of fighting back. For that reason was the mechanism in place. If she activated her Byakugan, which was necessary for her Jyuuken style to be effective, then the seal would react and shoot unspeakable, paralyzing pain through her body. Granted, it stopped their Byakugans, too, but there were many of them and only one of her; any attempt to escape would be a low-damage, short victory for them, after which they could chain her to the chair and prevent any further attempts.

With cool confidence, the Lieutenant began the preparations to work his work. "Now then, little one," he said, "Since you've grown so big, I can't promise you that this won't hurt, but if you don't struggle, it will be quick..."

The terrible screams of pain reverberated through the chamber, but the thick, soundproof walls contained it within. Nobody would know the agony that went on that day but the one who experienced it and the escort forces that bore witness. A few of these witnesses heard the screams and shuddered, praised their gods that it was not them that this was happening to. Most of them simply stood around boredly, having seen it all before.

And through it all, the Lieutenant smiled, satisfied that the council's will was being carried out and that he was _not_ going to be demoted.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the gardens adjacent to the chamber, two people lay camouflaged underneath an assortment of leafy plants.

"Jeez, that was close. Really close," said the Hyuuga escort. Hinata's face was forcibly muffled against his robes, so she could not protest loudly. However, she made all the effort she could to protest violently, kicking at her captor and making him wince in pain.

"Hey now, what are you kicking at _me _for?" he asked. Then he realized whose face he was wearing. "Oh yeah..."

Releasing the illusion, the fake Hyuuga escort reverted to his true form.

"Naruto-kun!" gasped Hinata. "You... you... how?"

"In all honesty, I didn't expect it to go so well," he said. "I totally thought that those Byakugan eyes would see through the smoke and the illusion, but I guess they're overrated, huh? No offense."

"N-none taken, Naruto-kun," she said. She had too much on her plate—namely Naruto's chest in her face—to take offense. "But, why did you do that? You knew how dangerous it would be if you failed..."

"That's easy," he said. "You're my friend, Hinata... no, more than that. There are plenty of reasons why, and I'll tell you later, but now, we have to talk about the rest of my plan. Once they come out of there, the illusion won't fool them long... sooner or later, somebody is going to use the Byakugan, and they'll realize that the one they just put the seal on isn't you. If that happens, we're both screwed."

Hinata nodded. The words, _more than a friend,_ were music to her, a song that played over and over in her head, but he was right... if his wild scheme was to work, they had to cover their tracks.

"Listen, Hinata," he went on, "I'll find a way to divert their attention, and then we'll switch you back in. Tie your hitai-ate around your forehead, and don't take it off. If you absolutely have to remove it, then create an illusion of that weird seal. Do it even if you're completely alone—we don't know who might be watching. So much of this depends on pure luck, we don't want to increase the danger any more than we have to."

Hinata was afraid. He wasn't kidding when he said this hinged on luck; so many things could go wrong with his plan. Yet he was sticking to it, and she was going to put all her faith in it—in him—as well, though it might mean the end of him and of her happiness.

"All right, Naruto-kun. I will do my best to keep this secret until... until whatever it is happens that needs to before I can rest."

Naruto smiled at her. "Thatta girl."

They settled down to wait.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said suddenly, "I feel badly for your bunshin. The branding process is supposed to be very painful for teenagers and adults..."

The blond next to her grimaced. Her eyes filled with concern.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

He turned his head towards her slowly, and his blue eyes brought a chill to her.

"I heard about that on my way in. If its as bad as you say it is, a bunshin wouldn't be able to handle it. He'd disappear in the middle of the process."

Hinata's mouth dropped open, horrified. "No... you don't mean..."

"I do," he said. His face was lined with sorrow. "I'm the bunshin."

OoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty oOoOoOoOoO


	23. C21: Divulge

**A/N: **I'm sorry that it took me such a long time to get this chapter out. I've been dealing with the aftermath of a huge fire in my workplace and as such most of my time has been spent working extra hours. However, just as I said following the car wreck incident, I will not be stopped by mortal dangers. This story will be finished ere I die, and if my hands are hacked off and I cannot use the keyboard, I'll have someone else type it for me.

The old review record was completely demolished last chapter. I received tons of good reviews, a couple of reviews from unsatisfied readers, and even one review from a dead person. I hope that the rest of the story doesn't lose luster when compared to this one; I've still got lots of work to do, and I still need to keep you guys reading it.

**Chapter Twenty-one: Divulge  
**

The whole world was pain. It was thumbscrews and hot pokers, needles and nerve gas. It was burning cold and freezing hot. At one moment his blood was acid, melting and corroding his core, and the next moment it was lightning, jerking and shredding him from the inside out. The agony was everywhere and nowhere and in all wheres between, but most prominently in his head, where it disrupted his thoughts and frayed his focus.

_I have to hold on, _he thought. _If I lose it here, it's all for nothing. Hold the illusion, don't let it even flicker..._

He was incredibly lucky that the chamber's defensive measures prevented his captors from using their secret-compromising doujutsu; if the Byakugan could have been used in this situation, he most likely would already have been dead. There was no way he was going to make all this good luck useless. He would fight this torment, and he would win.

After a while, he began to feel the pain as though it were something far away, which he could observe from behind the safety of his iron will; he was becoming accustomed to the sensations that were coursing through him. He no longer had to throw all of his willpower into maintaining the illusion and the kage bunshin. Opening his disguised eyes, he found that the world was light and shadow and color again. He could see the eerie glow of the seals on the stone and the gazes of his Hyuuga captors, which ranged from sympathetic to smug.

Then a sneering, cocky face was lowered in front of his.

"Well, then, Hinata-sama," it said, "We are nearly done. This next bit of work will be the last. I want you to know, before it is done, that I have enjoyed our time together, and that I wish you good luck in your new station. Make yourself ready now... the finishing touches require a little extra pressure..."

The "little extra" force sent him reeling into a new world altogether. Hellfire, razor blades, frostbite, hurricane winds, ball lightning, plague, and shards of black obsidian whirled around and through him. He felt his mind begin to tear at the seams...

_No! Stay focused! Stay awake! Hold..._

The jaws of blissful unconsciousness opened wide...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

While an eternity of hurt transpired for the fake Hinata within the chamber, six minutes of shock passed within the mind of the true Hyuuga Hinata. Neither she nor the bunshin that served her for company said anything, one absorbed in strategies for his creator's escape, and the other not capable of thinking anything at all.

At length, however, the gears began turning again. They were oiled with a mixture of admiration and regret.

_He walked into that chamber, willingly, knowing that he would find only torment. He knew that if he failed, he could be terribly hurt or killed. He knew, and yet he is in there now, enduring pain that was meant for me..._

Her pearly eyes became teary. Such a sacrifice had never been made in the history of the Hyuuga Clan. Naruto had made it to protect her. The realization warmed her, sent her heart soaring, and if not for the fact that she was required to hide in the bushes or render the entire effort futile, would have sent her prancing out into the rain, kissing the ground, and singing praises to the Hyuuga patron gods.

At the same time, however, she could not help but feel sick with guilt for driving her precious person to do this and was overcome by dread. Naruto was not a Hyuuga—what if the Caged Bird Seal caused him unnatural harm, or worse... what if it weakened the seal of the Yondaime and allowed the Kyuubi to come forth? She passed the time below the wet leaves articulating wild and horrible possibilities.

Suddenly, the bunshin at her side gave a start. His face went deathly white.

"Oh no," he said.

Hinata was jarred out of her dark thoughts. Looking at him with concern, she asked, "Bunshin-kun? What is wrong?"

Bunshin-kun never got a chance to answer, for he puffed into nothingness at the very next second.

"What...?" Hinata said to the space where he'd been. "Where did he... Oh no!"

Horror filled her head. She could remember Naruto's previous battles; she had seen that although kage bunshins were able to act independently from the original even at a distance, they still remained tied to their creator in some sense. A powerful or disabling blow upon the genuine article could impact that connection and cause one or more clones to dissipate. The logic lead her to one conclusion: something had happened to the real Naruto. And this likely also meant...

"No..." she whispered, not wanting to believe it. "Is the henge broken?"

But looking through the stone into the chamber, she could see no abnormal fluctuations of chakra; no flare of surprise or outrage was apparent, and the Hyuuga guarding Naruto were calm. Naruto himself also showed a stable aura, if a little bit weaker than normal. It seemed that he had been strained at the last moment, and had lost the focus necessary to maintain the bunshin and the illusion simultaneously. Knowing what would happen if happen if he lost the latter, he disposed of the former, and was able to keep on top of the situation. Hinata let out the breath she'd been holding in a relieved sigh.

She watched attentively while Naruto's chakra signature rose shakily from its seat and found its balance. The signatures of the Hyuuga came out of their relaxed postures and moved toward the door. Hinata was about to thank the heavens that Naruto's agony was ended, but then another thought occurred to her that drowned all sense of relief.

The bunshin was gone; there would be no distraction to cover Naruto's escape, no maelstrom in which to lose herself as she took his place. Fear crept over her. Once again, it looked as though the plan was only moments away from failing; as soon as they were out the door, that Lieutenant or one of his men would think to check for a follow-up attack, activate his Byakugan, and...

_No!_ Hinata thought forcefully. _Naruto-kun sacrificed too much for that to happen! I can't let it!_

An idea came to her. Though she knew it was a long shot—the timing would have to be impeccable—Hinata found herself preparing to give her all for this hastily-drawn plan. Breathing deeply to calm herself, she pulled her hitai-ate around her forehead and focused her chakra, weaving the signs of Henge no Jutsu. As she became the perfect double of the young man she loved, the door of the chamber opened to let her own double free.

A pair of Hyuuga came out, and then another. The Lieutenant followed these four, leading Naruto/Hinata out by the hand. Hinata/Naruto winced in sympathy for her/his love as he/she stumbled out; he/she was awake and aware, but the pain and the sudden transition from the dark environs of the chamber to the brighter ones of the outdoors had disoriented him/her, and Hinata's double had to work hard not to trip over air. Hinata/Naruto could see that he/she was improving, however, and knew that he/she would be strong enough to fight again after a few moments.

"You will have those few moments, Naruto-kun," she/he said. Then she/he paused, considering. _That is not what it should sound like, _she/he thought. Drawing on the spirit of the true Naruto, letting that bright, shining personality suffuse hers/his, Hinata/Naruto tried again.

"You'll definitely get that time, Hinata!" she/he said. With a satisfied smile, she/he leaped from her/his hiding place. She/he did not create any kage bunshins, but that was fine; for just the split second that she planned to be in their line of sight, the appearance of Naruto would be convincing enough. Once the switch was done, he'd make his own shadow clones.

She/he saw the Lieutenant close his eyes in focus. _Oh, no, you are not going to see through this illusion. _In a desperate bid to break his concentration and prevent the Byakugan's awakening, she/he gathered a great cry in her/his throat and loosed it at him with all the strength that her/his vocal chords had.

"Oy, you snobbish, arrogant bastards! Up yours!" _Wow, _she/he thought as the Lieutenant opened his (thankfully normal) eyes to look up, _that actually felt pretty good... _Then she/he brought her/his foot down upon the Lieutenant's face. _That felt even better..._

Then she/he plucked a smoke bomb from her/his pouch. Though she/he knew that she/he was breaking character—the true Naruto was smart enough by now to know not to fight in conditions under which he had lost before—it was manifest that there was no safer way to carry out the switch under the Byakugan radar. The bomb hit the ground and engulfed the region once again in thick black smoke.

Hinata/Naruto released the jutsu and became merely Hinata again. She activated her Byakugan, trying to make out Naruto/Hinata and not having much success. When the smoke cleared, he/she was nowhere to be found. At first she was confused, but after a moment she had to work to suppress a smile.

The weakness and disorientation in Naruto/Hinata had been real, certainly, but it had also been grossly exaggerated. Naruto had now recovered from it and stood above them on the limb of a young tree, his arms crossed. Though he appeared very angry—more from the desire to hurt his recent tormentors than from trying to act angry because "Hinata" had been hurt—he was, to the naked eye, the same Uzumaki Naruto that had attacked the group earlier. Hinata felt relief wash over her again; other than momentary disorientation, it seemed that the Caged Bird Seal did not have any immediate harmful side effects.

The Lieutenant, meanwhile, though blood streamed from his smashed nose, had picked himself up and was now glaring at Naruto with a powerful rage of his own.

"Curse you, demon brat!" he said. "You will be made to pay for that insult." Drawing a handkerchief, he wiped the blood meticulously from his face and tore small strips with which to plug the nostrils. Being mopped up seemed to calm him down some, and though his eyes remained fiery, his lips found the strength to curl into a sneer.

"Why do you continue to fight? You know that you have already lost, boy."

Naruto glared right back. "Haven't you paid attention to anything? Idiot. If you had, you'd know I'm bad—really bad—at giving up. **Tajyuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**

The yard and the garden were suddenly swamped with more than rainwater. The thousand clones fell on the startled Hyuuga with a ferocity that rivaled even that of the mighty demons themselves. From each one, nine tails of bright, burning blue emerged, lighting the dark day with their brilliance. In moments, the Hyuuga escort team was beaten.

_How easy it would have been,_ Hinata thought, _to simply walk out of here with him, leave all of this hatred and conflict behind..._ Seeing Naruto smiling grimly at her, she knew that he was thinking the same thing, and just like her, he knew that she could not simply leave. To run away and leave the Hyuuga Clan to degenerate from within would be to abandon them. Hinata would someday become the Clan's ruler, thanks to Naruto's sacrifice. If she abandoned her future subjects to their hatred and divisiveness now, then her honor would be tarnished; she would not be able to rule them with a clean conscience later, and thus that sacrifice would be rendered pointless. On top of that, she would miss her father and her sister, for they would alienate her.

Naruto dispelled his bunshins and prepared to leave. The noise and light that he had just made had surely alerted the entire clan to his presence. She smiled ruefully at his back, and it seemed that he felt it, for he turned and smiled back. He raised his arm to wave farewell...

And was sent rocketing into a stone wall thirty feet away. The impact, which would have shattered a weaker man's spine, did not severely harm him, though he would feel the pain of many bruises later on. However, as he picked himself up, it was apparent that there was more afflicting him than just external damage. Hinata tore her eyes from the injured Naruto and brought them around to stare fixedly upon her father.

"You," said Hiashi bitterly. "I should have known. Have you not ruined Hinata's life enough? Do you not believe that the most merciful thing you can do for her now is to be gone from her now and forever?" He moved forward, building power for another Jyuuken. Naruto stood wobbly on his feet, barely able to hold down bloody vomit. He would be able to do little to resist.

Hiashi was not the ruler of the Hyuuga Clan in spite of any weakness. His power was immense, and a second shot, no matter how tough the target was, would be instantly fatal, as many an opponent had discovered.

"Father!" cried Hinata, "Stop!"

Her pleas fell upon deaf ears. Hiashi's silver eyes were riveted to his victim.

"Answer me, boy," he said. "Answer me, or find your redemption in death."

Naruto lost his hold on his sickness and keeled over, blood spewing from his mouth. Hiashi waited for the hacking spasms to pass, intent on hearing the boy speak at least once in his own defense. When it was finished, Naruto hauled himself back to his feet and—much to Hiashi's surprise—smiled.

"You're welcome, old man."

Though Naruto meant it in reference to Hiashi's prayer for Hinata's safety, the Hyuuga ruler was not aware that the blond had been listening at that time. He chose to believe that he meant, "You're welcome, old man, for ruining your daughter's life."

Rage enveloped him. This was an insult much too grievous to let slide. "So, this is what Haka no Keisuke planned all along. He thinks to demoralize me, weaken me by harming my family. I tell you, I will not fall prey to this manipulation! I will not be manipulated again, by you, by the council, or by anyone! Let there be war, if there must be—if I must have corpses instead of an heir and a daughter, I will at least have myself again!"

Hiashi became a blur of lethal movement, a living missile aimed at Naruto's heart. Shock and horror claimed the face of the wounded Jinchuuriki, and Hinata's desperate pleading filled the air.

Then, at last, the plea was answered. Hiashi's straight aim was thrown awry as his Byakugan sensed incoming danger, and he was barely able to leap out of the way as a booted foot moving at a speed no human besides Rock Lee or Maito Gai could hope to surpass nearly snapped his neck. Startled and engraged, Hiashi whirled to face the newcomer, only to see an open palm, charged with Jyuuken, hurtling toward him like a meteor. He managed to evade, though the chakra bolt grazed his shoulder.

The lithe body attached to the flying palm somersaulted neatly in the air, landed on the grass, and swiftly pivoted to face Hiashi. The person wore no hitai-ate, and the forehead was visible, bearing a mark burning with bright blue chakra that was contaminated with yellow. The Byakugan eyes blazed silver-white with a feverish love for battle.

Meanwhile, the one who had thrown that person at Hiashi—the owner of the foot that had almost decapitated him—was standing opposite his partner in a ready stance so that there was one of them on either side of him. Looking behind him with the Byakugan, Hiashi saw that a shining white seal was unraveling across this man's skin. It was shortly replaced by a different one, which blazed with the intensity of lightning.

Their appearance had startled Hiashi, but the head of Hyuuga was not one to remain startled long. After assessing the power that he felt from these two, Hiashi would have been fairly confident that they posed only a moderate threat to him. It would not be an easy win, but it would not be too difficult, either. In fact, Hiashi was more than prepared to take the time to swat these two before dealing with Naruto; the boy was wounded, he wasn't going anywhere.

But one observation gave pause: his Byakugan saw the ghostly lines of chakra flowing between his two assailants, connecting them at the tenketsus. They fought with one chakra, and together that chakra was large.

"We're terribly sorry to interrupt, Hiashi," said the other Byakugan user.

"But, you know, we figured our little brother's already done more than his share today," said the seal-writer.

Hiashi frowned in dismay. "Haka no Keisuke. So it seems that you have decided to stop using your pawns and fight me yourself."

"Oh, I'm not done using my pawns _quite_ yet," came the reply between smiling lips.

"So I see," said Hiashi. "This time, you've even dragged poor Haruka into this. I had hoped that she would see reason, but it seems that I must fight her, after all. Do not think that I will hold back because she was my friend once."

"We don't expect it," said Haruka. "After all, I won't be holding back anything, either." Hiashi saw the all-too-happy-to-be-fighting-a-strong-opponent smile and saw that her statement was not false in the slightest. In that moment, he knew that this battle, if he was not careful, might very well be his last.

Keisuke called across the yard to his partner. "Are you prepared, my Good Sadist?"

"I believe I am, my Sightless One."

The blind man launched into the fray, and Haruka was not far behind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sakura had long ago stopped trying to keep up with Keisuke and Haruka. Even with all of her chakra in her feet, she could not match the speed set by Keisuke with his Chisoku Kokuin seal. Yet she was not worried; the way things were going, she'd figure out where they were by the sounds of intense violence. Sure enough, after a few more minutes of hard running, she heard combat in the Hyuuga compound, and it did not take long at all to find the source.

She was glad to see that Naruto was still alive and that Hinata was apparently safe. Dropping down beside Naruto, she hailed them both.

"Naruto, Hinata-chan! Are you both capable of moving? Because if you are, we really should get out of the way." Sakura indicated the battle raging in the yard. It was perilously close to their position.

Hinata, who had been watching the battle intently with her Byakugan—particularly admiring the Synchronization technique, which she had never before seen in action—turned her head at hearing her name called.

"Sakura-chan!" she said, recognizing her friend. "I'm in perfect health, but poor Naruto-kun..."

"I can stand now, I think," grunted the blond. He'd sat himself down to recover from the extensive damage, but after spending a few minutes on the ground, his muscles were no longer used to movement. He exhibited difficulty standing on his own.

"Hinata, grab him," said Sakura. "We're going to have to haul him off somewhere safer. We'd better hurry, too... if the rest of the Hyuuga were hesitant to investigate before, they certainly won't be with this racket."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Two blocks down from the Hyuuga compound, the three of them sat huddled under Sakura's umbrella while Naruto's wounds were healed.

"There... that's about all I can do now," said the pink-haired medic.

Naruto got to his feet and tested his body, bending and flexing to make sure everything was in good working order. It hurt some, but all his various parts were attached and fully functional; he was ready to fight again.

"All right," he said, "Thanks, Sakura. Now, I'm going to go back and help Keisuke nii-chan and Haruka nee-chan."

Hinata, who had been admiring the play of Naruto's shirtless (if bandaged) musculature during his stretch session, snapped out of her dazed state of mind.

"Na-Naruto-kun," she said, "I really don't think you should. Father is incredibly powerful..."

"Your Dad's Jyuuken was no big thing compared to what that bastard Hiroto gave me a while ago," Naruto responded. "That one almost killed me. After this one, I was at least able to stand up."

"Even so, Naruto," Sakura argued, "Hiashi-san is the leader of the clan. He knows all of the clan's secret arts, including many tricks that Branch Housers like Hiroto-san wouldn't know. Plus, we know next to nothing about him; for all you know, Naruto, what he lacks in power compared to Hiroto, he could more than make up for in some other trait."

"All of this is true," agreed Hinata. "Keisuke-san and Haruka have both been fighting Hyuuga for much longer than you have—they will survive. But you, Naruto-kun... I worry." Her eyes bored into his, and suddenly Naruto found himself their captive again. As much as he wanted to rush to his friends' aid, he could not do so while those eyes held him.

Exasperated, Naruto sat down with a huff. "Well, I can't just sit here and do nothing! What do you want me do, if not go to help them?"

"Keisuke-san wanted me to give you this message, Naruto," said Sakura. "He says that the best thing you can do is to follow orders—namely the ones that Tsunade-sama gave you. The Hyuuga will probably be really mad at you for causing trouble on their own grounds. If you're away from the village on your mission, then they won't be able to touch you, and by the time you come back Tsunade-sama will have gotten wind of this and sorted things out."

Naruto was deep in thought for a moment, and then he spoke in response. "I feel for Keisuke nii-chan. With the way that Tsunade Baa-chan 'sorts things out,' he's not liable to come out in one piece over this much trouble."

"Neither are you or Hinata-chan's father," added Sakura. Hinata lowered her head in silent agreement.

"Nah," said Naruto, "I'll be okay. I might come out with a few extra bruises and deaf in one ear, but I'll be fine. Keisuke will be the worst off, since he's new around here."

He pulled on his shirt and jacket. "Since you and Keisuke nii-chan insist, I'll go on the mission," he said. "Hopefully, you guys are right about this. It all seems way too unstable to me, like ramen that's been boiled too long. Then again, once Baa-chan puts her foot down..." He shivered. "It may not be pretty, but it sure does get things done."

"All right, Naruto," said Sakura. "Hinata and I are going to go see Tsunade-sama now. If we're lucky, she'll stop the fight before it gets out of hand."

"Yeah, you do that," Naruto said. Putting on the last of his gear, he turned to go. Before he left, however, he turned to Hinata.

"Remember," he said, "Keep that forehead covered."

"I will, Naruto-kun," she said. "A-and... you be careful with... you know..." her words trailed off as her eyes fixated on his own hitai-ate.

Naruto grimaced. He knew what she meant all too well. "I will, don't worry. Ja ne."

He disappeared into the wind.

Sakura looked at Hinata with confusion in her eyes. "Hinata?" she asked, "What did he mean when he said, 'keep that forehead covered?' And what were you..."

"I'll tell you later, Sakura-chan," Hinata interrupted. Her eyes lingered a moment on the spot where Naruto had vanished, then looked up to her friend. "Right now, what is important is making certain that Tsunade-sama is alerted to the conflict in the Hyuuga house, before any permanent damage is done."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Neji's heart beat faster than it had in months. His lungs sucked in an released more air than he knew they were capable of holding. The exertion of chakra that he had demonstrated was comparable to the amount he would put out in three of Rock Lee's conditioning sessions, and possibly more.

Yet he was victorious. What must have been nearly half of the Hyuuga clan's entire fighting force lay incapacitated around him. Of course, this meant that he would probably face harsh punishment and could no longer defy his superiors in secret, but he had done his part and given Naruto more time to escape, just as Keisuke had asked him to. No one could ask any more of him.

Only one thing bothered Neji: Captain Hiroto, who should have come running to join the fray as soon as the noise of the thousand bunshins was heard, was nowhere in sight. Neji had heard reports that the Captain was ill, of course, but Hiroto had been known to rise in spite of illness to lesser threats than this. As he leaned against a stone wall and caught his breath, Neji turned his mind upside down in an effort to guess his superior's motive for sitting out this time.

_I highly doubt that the Captain is simply too ill to move, _he thought. _He has always had good health and a superb ability to fight off infection... Perhaps he is taking this opportunity to observe Keisuke-san's abilities for himself rather than hear the story through Shinosuke? That would be plausible, if he weren't ill; if he was too sick to attend the last council congregation, then he is definitely too sick to be sneaking around effectively. Unless he was lying about being ill..._

Neji then had a thought that caused him unease.

_If he _was _lying—and it may or may not be the case—then there are a great many things that he might be doing right under our noses..._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

They took the steps up the Hokage tower four at a time, running at breakneck pace to reach Tsunade's office. Perspiration glistened on their skin, and their breath was heavy; they had not had to run very far, but the speed at which they had traveled that short distance would have earned the praise of Maito Gai.

They ascended from the bottom of the tower to the head office in the space of fifteen seconds, halting outside the large door. Hinata and Sakura strained to get their wind back, for they still had a warning to deliver, and they needed breath to do it. After twelve seconds of rest, Sakura turned to grasp the handle of the door.

"Well," she said, "Let's get..."

A heavy thud rocked the building. Hinata wondered what on earth someone had made such a loud noise for, and remained perilously in front of the door. But instinct drove Sakura, who had worked in the building for a long time now, to grab her and hit the deck just in time.

The door splintered and the pieces flew off the hinges, sailing across the waiting area and back down into the stairwell. A great cry of rage came from the doorway, followed closely by a wrathful storm in the shape of a woman, which hurdled over the prone girls and jumped rapidly down the steps, each footfall shaking the whole building.

Sakura climbed to her feet, dusting herself off and staring back in the storm's wake. Hinata rose onto her knees, a bewildered look on her face.

"What...? Was that Tsunade-sama, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. And she's much, _much_ more pissed off than I can ever remember her being. You don't need a Byakugan to recognize that level of danger."

Hinata recalled the wave of power that had passed over her head, and couldn't very well disagree. She got hastily to her feet.

"Should we go after her?" she asked. "We still have a message to deliver, after all... the Hyuuga..."

"If there is another problem with our clan, Hinata-sama," interrupted someone from the office, "Then it will be resolved shortly. Tsunade-sama is, as you see, quite unhappy with the Hyuuga at the moment." The young man stepped out of the doorway, stared a moment in awe at the wreckage, and came to rest before Hinata.

"Shinosuke-san," Hinata acknowledged. "So you have already thought to come to Hokage-sama over the violence in our house. You may have just saved lives with your quick thinking. We are indebted to you."

Shinosuke raised an eyebrow. "Violence, Hinata-sama? I reported conflict to our Lady Hokage, but I'd had no word of any violence. Is it true then? Has the council brought us into civil war?"

Hinata and Sakura stood flabbergasted.

"Wait a minute," said Sakura, "You mean you weren't here to report the battle?"

"No, I was not," Shinosuke replied. "But I expect Hokage-sama will deal with that, as well. What I came here to report was a secret known only to a select few until I divulged it; if word had gotten out, the Hyuuga clan would have fallen into great public disgrace. Though I could not abide in my heart the things that were happening, I feared to tell anyone; I feared both for our reputation, Hinata-sama, and for my life, for undoubtedly the council will not take kindly to this if they survive. Yet at last I could stand it no longer, and now the wheels of change are in motion for the Hyuuga, though I cannot say whether the change is good or bad."

"Oh, just spit it out already!" said Sakura. She was both tired from her exertions and had enough confusion to sort out already; she did not need this dramatic lead-up.

Hinata frowned in dismay at the outburst, but Shinosuke seemed not to mind. He even bowed apologetically to Sakura before he obliged her. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a tape recorder and began to re-wind the tape within.

"This is a recording of the last meeting of the Hyuuga Advisory Council," he said. "I took the liberty of recording it myself. It includes my report to First Elder Takashi on the incident in the ancient castle dungeon and his remarks thereafter—hard proof that the whole Sound force there was fake, set up by the council—and vague details on a plot to 'dispose of' Uzumaki Naruto. I hope that you will find it as outrageous and vile as Tsunade-sama and I did."

OoOoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty-One oOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:**

I will attempt to give you more chapters this coming week. Like I said, mortal dangers won't stop me, but they can slow me down, and all I can do is make it up to you in the future.

Next chapter—The repaired Haruka/Keisuke team takes on Hiashi, a direct confrontation at last. Tsunade, immensely angered at the high treason committed by the Hyuuga Advisors under First Elder Takashi, is on her way, bringing with her a reckoning that will be long remembered. Meanwhile, Hiroto's disappearance sets more people on edge, and Naruto, by heading off on his mission, might just be escaping one danger only to smash headlong into another.

Stay with me, readers. The Hyuuga conflict is climaxing, but this story is far from over.


	24. C22: Strengths

**A/N: **I really need to find a more reliable source of free Naruto downloads. The one I'm using takes forever.

So, enlighten me, what's entertaining you most right now? And what about the parts you hate? Tell me now, for I have more chapters to write, and too much time to write them.

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Strengths**

A full twenty minutes had passed before anyone arrived to witness the battle that had moved into the south courtyard. Those who finally made it were mostly civilian Hyuuga rather than trained shinobi, due to Neji's interference, and even those who were groomed for battle were loathe to enter the fray, for fear that the three superpowers clashing there would quickly engulf and destroy them. Nor did they really want to leave their seats, for already they had quite a good view of the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle that was taking place before them.

As they had done for the past third of an hour, Hiashi and Keisuke exchanged blows and parries with alarming precision and rapidity, lighting the cloudy day with sparks of electricity and chakra, while the agile Haruka ducked in and out of the melee, taking a close-range shot when she thought she had an opening and flinging shuriken when she did not. Her aid periodically helped Keisuke to gain ground, but it was not long before that ground was lost again, for Hiashi was tenacious as they came and even more clever, recognizing and capitalizing on every mistake that the pair made—no matter how slight.

Neither party seemed able to gain an advantage, nor did they seem to be tiring, though none of them had any time to speak through their continuous attacking, blocking, dodging, and countering. If no one were to stop it, it seemed that such a battle could conceivably go on forever.

At length, however, the Hyuuga leader ducked under an electrified kunai slash and managed to deliver a solid kick to the blind man's ribs. Keisuke tumbled backwards, bowled over by his opponent's robust strength. He struggled to rise quickly, but by the time he gained his feet Hiashi had already turned on Haruka. The woman fought her old friend valiantly and skillfully, her agility allowing her to graze Hiashi's side twice before the bigger fighter could compensate for the change in the opposing fighting style.

In the space of four seconds, Keisuke was back in the fight, but in those four seconds Hiashi had turned the tide of the battle in his favor, by forcing his opponents to take the opposite roles in their battle strategy. The smaller Haruka now had to try to defend and counter effectively against Hiashi's longer reach, while the slower Keisuke attempted to support from the outside against an opponent who was more than nimble enough to evade.

Yet, contrary to what he had said, Hiashi had much less desire to harm his childhood friend than he did to harm Keisuke, and so he did not use such lethal force as before. Instead, he opted to make use of his longer reach to seal tenketsus in her arms, hoping to disable her and knock her out as painlessly as possible before moving on to kill the blind man.

Once he was confident that he had hit enough points, Hiashi knocked aside her left arm, juked away from a flurry of kunai sent his direction by Keisuke, and motioned to pinch the nerve in her neck that would bring sleep to her.

His hand was halfway there when he realized, too late, that Haruka's Jyuuken was not out of operation as he had planned. Hiashi narrowly evaded the death in her right hand, only to have Keisuke's fist slam into his left side. He staggered back, and though he quickly recovered and got into a defensive position, the battle was back at square one. His two opponents stood across the courtyard from him and slightly apart, planning their next move silently.

Hiashi looked into Haruka's chakra coils, seeking out the source of the problem. He knew that he had hit every one of those tenketsus in her arms perfectly; something had restored them, or she would not have been able to perform the Jyuuken in response.

"The strands of chakra that run between you," he said, suddenly realizing. "They act as supply lines. When I sealed the tenketsus in Haruka's arms, you sent an excess of chakra through her system, forcing them back open."

"Clever as always, Hiashi," said Haruka. "You eventually figured it out, though it took the usual slap in the face to stimulate that thought."

"Now, now, Haruka," said Keisuke, "We don't have to rub his nose in it. He'll be doing it to himself in good time."

Haruka huffed in mock annoyance. "Pfft. That's the problem with you, Keisuke. You're always too nice to the opponent. He's our _enemy,_ for the gods' sake."

"Wasn't he your friend once, though?"

"He _was_, you great blind buffoon! Not is!"

"You want to know what I think?"

"What?"

"You just want to kill something, you sadistic little..."

The dialog was meant to mislead and sometimes infuriate the opponent by making it seem that their quarrel was more important to them than him, but Hiashi was paying it no heed. He was a seasoned warrior, and he remained focused on the task at hand.

_This technique that allows them to share chakra is troublesome, _he thought. _Then..._

Haruka's retort was cut off in mid sentence, as she had to shift her attention to the incoming attack. Both she and her partner had trained themselves to be ready for abrupt interruptions in their dialog, and she was set up to parry the incoming Jyuuken within a split second of its launch. Even when Hiashi suddenly changed his attack angle and stance and brought his other palm forward, Haruka recognized the maneuver and was able to move accordingly.

_You can't fool me, Hiashi, _she thought. _You're good to hide that Hakke Kushou behind the distraction of a powerful Jyuuken, but I'm good enough to see it anyway. Tough shi..._

Her sense of surety ended quickly. While she was moving correctly to dodge the Hakke Kushou, she was dodging the incorrect technique. Hiashi had deliberately let her see the attack building in his other palm, but there was no way that she, having never seen it before, could possibly guess that it was not what it seemed to be.

"**Hakke Kushou, Ni no Tachi!"** (Eight Trigams Empty Palm, Version Two)

Keisuke, who had likewise thought that it was something else and that Haruka could handle herself, was struck numb as his senses told him the opposite. This was, obviously, no regular Hakke Kushou. His feelers detected the humongous vortex of chakra that spiraled out of Hiashi's palm, but Keisuke was surprised to find that this was only the beginning of the technique; the vortex formed an outer shell for the jutsu's core, protecting it from outside interference. Inside of it, a second, smaller chakra spiral had formed which moved in the inverse direction.

Immediately, Keisuke rushed toward the Hyuuga Clan Head, but he was not fast enough; Haruka had already been sucked in towards his waiting palm. At the last instant, Hiashi turned his body towards the garden and sent Haruka flying in that direction, immediately leaping after her. The Ghostly Arms connecting the two partners stretched as far as they could to maintain the Synchronization, but the distance quickly became too great; the blind man lost track of his partner.

"Shit!" Keisuke swore. He made to follow them, but Hiashi was prepared and whirled into action even as he pursued Haruka. The Kaiten technique knocked the blind man flat without the need for Hiashi to turn or even slow down. Then he passed beyond the range of Keisuke's feelers.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Behind the secured doors of the conference chamber, the victory party was in full swing. Drinks were consumed almost faster than they could be poured. Witty jokes were traded back and forth like gold. A large bounty of food had just been brought up from the evacuated kitchens. Chewing on a bite of steamed rice, Takashi finally allowed himself to be caught up in the joyous moment. He'd done his work; now he could die with triumph in his blood, and future generations of Hyuuga would speak of his glorious exploits for a hundred years or more. The only thing missing from the party—a modern-day practice at social gatherings involving alcohol, which Takashi was glad to not have to witness—was the brawling between two or more overexcited party attendees.

Takashi's glory, as well as the lack of violence, was brought to an abrupt and brutal end with the arrival of a new batch of guests. These guests did not open the door, did not greet the others cheerfully or in good spirits, and did not immediately head for the drinks. Instead, they blasted the door to splinters, herded the other guests into the center of the room wielding sharp instruments, and lined up along the walls to keep them there. The party atmosphere transformed from victorious and jubilant to fearful and awesome.

The ANBU had come to attend the Advisory Council's party.

The First Elder was about to demand from them an explanation for their sudden and uninvited appearance, when he felt something sever inside of him. His Achilles Tendons were cut. Takashi toppled forth onto his withered face. A foot was planted on his spine, and so he could not rise, but Takashi was still able to hear the final guest speak.

"Hyuuga Takashi!" said the enraged female voice. "The Konoha executive office has received hard proof that you, as well as other members of the Hyuuga Clan Advisory Council, have conspired illegally against your legitimate ruler and his heir, that your actions have thrown off our search efforts against the forces of the Hidden Village of Sound, thus committing high treason against our village, and also for conspiring to murder in cold blood a citizen and honored shinobi of the Leaf!"

Takashi could not speak for shock. Not that he would have been able to anyway, since the foot on top of him prevented him from drawing breath.

"For these high and despicable crimes," continued the voice of the Hokage, "By the right of my station as Hokage, I hereby disband Hyuuga Clan Advisory Council, and place all of its members under arrest to await trial by their peers."

The First Elder felt more pressure from the foot upon his spine, and several vertebrae creaked audibly.

"You, Hyuuga Takashi, are sentenced to immediate death."

His spine shattered. For two long, unbearable seconds, Takashi felt pain that no scream could convey. Then cold steel cleaved his neck, and he felt nothing forevermore.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hiashi looked down upon his fallen friend with pity and remorse. Her tenketsus were all closed tightly, and her eyes were closed to the world, Hiashi having closed them himself after knocking her out. He admired her ability to protest even after having clearly lost—in the old days, before she had left the village with her parents, she had never had such a fiery determination.

They were hidden within a maze of tall hedges that constituted the third garden on the property. Surrounding them were blooms of all varieties and colors, clinging to wooden arches or to the hedges themselves, filling the place with enchantment and wonder. The air smelled sweet in spite of the recent rain, and the ground was springy underfoot. It was a comfortable place to hide oneself, as well as an effective one, for the complex maze had been designed by a master thinker, one of the earliest Clan Heads.

Hiashi would have stayed with Haruka longer, but he could feel the blind man closing on their position; when he found them, Hiashi did not want Haruka to be in the way. Stowing her in a hole he had gouged under one of the hedges and covering it with foliage, Hiashi started deeper into the maze, using his Byakugan to keep track of the position of his enemy. He picked up three signatures not far from him.

_Kage Bunshins, _he thought. _He has increased his manpower in order to find me more quickly. _Hiashi increased his speed, endeavoring to get as far away from Haruka as possible before he was discovered. He evaded the Reiude user's detection for many twists and turns, until finally he found himself at a crossroads with one path leading to a pair of chakra signatures, one path leading to a single signature, and the way behind him being approached by two more from different directions. Hiashi took the left path, towards the lone target; more targets meant more probability that he'd find the real one, generally, and it was practical to have a backup nearby in case one was found, but he'd learned a trick or two from watching Neji's fight with Uzumaki Naruto. It was possible that the real one had guessed he would think that way and had gone off alone to throw him off, hoping that the Bunshins would weaken him before he had to fight Hiashi himself.

One and a half moments later, Hiashi stood face-to-face against the enemy.

"Haka no Keisuke," he said, drawing up to full height, "I give you this final warning: surrender. I am out of patience with you and with all of my opponents, and Haruka is no longer able to help you. Give up the battle now, renounce your false name, and I will see to it that you leave here peacefully. If not, I cannot promise that you will survive."

The tall man in sunglasses betrayed no fear, but the humor was gone from his face. "I appreciate the offer of peace, my distant son, but I must decline, for two reasons. I cannot renounce my name, for it is my own and it cannot be taken from me. Secondly, Haruka and I came here as a team, and I will not abandon her. A wise young man once told me that those who care not for their comrades and leave them to the enemy are the lowest of garbage. I do not intend to be measured so, nor will I allow Haruka to endure the poor treatment that her clansmen promise her."

Keisuke's tone was adamant, and Hiashi's cold iron gaze would see no alteration of terms. Diplomacy, as it always does between peoples so opposed to each other's ways of life, had ultimately failed.

"Very well," Hiashi said. "From this point on, we will fight until one of us can fight no more. Though neither you nor the cause you serve deserves the honor, I will fight you on even ground and in fairness. Let nothing else interfere, and let the greater will prevail."

Keisuke did not acknowledge the words. He had already begun to fight, preparing his body to face its mightiest foe yet.

"I'd hoped that by bringing Haruka here, I wouldn't have to do this," he said. "But, like your nephew, you're a tough one. There's no way I can do without it now."

Hiashi observed the activity with stone-faced interest. Then he frowned in concern, for the power he sensed in Keisuke had multiplied. He would not have needed the Byakugan to see the effects; Thirty-Two of the Ghostly Arms had vanished completely, and the other thirty-two were so bright with the sickly-looking chakra that they would have been visible even to ordinary eyes.

"**Sanjuuni Reiude!"**

Even Hiashi, who had witnessed the first use of the Reiude many years ago, was impressed with this innovation. The forgotten Uzumaki had never thought of such a maneuver. Yet, even as he marveled at the power that pulsed from the new Arms, Hiashi could see that it was a double-edged sword; looking hard enough, a Hyuuga could see that already the fragile structure of the Arms was beginning to crumble under the pressure of all of the extra chakra.

He would have remarked on it, but there was no time, for Keisuke had already formed the seal of lightning and charged into the fight. Hiashi was surprised at just how much more effective the Kokuin technique had become. Originally, it had taken the friction of Hiashi's chakra to set off an electric jolt, but now the mere friction between Keisuke's hands and the moist air caused sparks to crackle around him! Daunted, Hiashi was compelled to dodge the blow rather than block it, for he had no desire to find out how much lightning would result from Keisuke's skin grinding into his robes.

_A single direct strike might injure me gravely, _thought the Hyuuga head. _And so might a failed strike of my own. If I want to avoid getting badly electrocuted, I will have to time my Jyuuken attacks perfectly and not let a single blow touch me. It will be difficult and consume much energy._ He grit his teeth in determination. _But, it is not beyond my ability._

Indeed, it was not; Hiashi was without a doubt more nimble than Keisuke, and he could evade all of his attacks easily, though each movement expended more stamina than blocking would have. He did not take chances with light and frequent attacks; he was waiting for the perfect moment to land a critical blow, an opportunity to end the fight without severely damaging or killing himself. Keisuke came close several times to striking him, and Hiashi had to admit to himself that his opponent was skilled and tenacious, even if he was a fraud.

Even so, neither one of them had landed a blow yet. Keisuke's Sanjuuni Reiude had turned the battle into a sudden death round. If either one of them scored a hit, the battle would be over. Keisuke had one advantage in that he could hit nearly anywhere and the lightning would pulse through his opponent's body, whereas Hiashi had to hit him in the vitals and do it as directly as possible, or he would injure himself in the process. Hiashi had the advantage of time; while he was tiring rapidly, Keisuke's Arms were corroding themselves into nothing even more rapidly than that. It was anybody's game, but whoever won was sure to win it soon.

For two minutes, Keisuke came at his opponent with all of his might and skill while Hiashi employed every ounce of mobility he had to avoid, using the Byakugan to look for openings. Then, when Keisuke's foot caught on a root and he began to windmill, nearly falling over backward, Hiashi found what he was looking for. Confident of victory, he moved in for the kill.

However, something in the edges of his superior vision distracted him. He held off his attack for a split second and focused more chakra to his eyes, widening his field of view. He saw Keisuke's shadow clones gathering on the tops of the hedges, apparently concentrating their strength for a focused attack on him when he left himself vulnerable. His distraction ended. If he got the main body, he would get the clones as well. And even if this Keisuke was a clone (which he doubted, since he had not popped away to inform his fellows of Hiashi's location), Hiashi was aware of the others now—he would be able to thwart them with the Kaiten if they attacked simultaneously. He resumed his attack.

However, the split moment of distraction was just enough time for Keisuke, who, upon losing the fight with gravity, scooped a handful of sodden soil on his way down and flung it into Hiashi's face. Although not totally blinded, Hiashi's forward vision was badly muddled, and he could see only chakra signatures before him.

The head Hyuuga pulled his palm back, not daring to follow through on his shot—he could see his target, but his picture of the chakra circulatory system was not perfectly clear, and if he missed by even a hair...

Hiashi raised his sleeve to wipe away the mud, when his rear vision saw the clones on the hedgetops leap down towards him. Growling in frustration, he stopped wiping and flung himself into the Hakke Shou Kaiten, causing them and their master, who was in close proximity, to be blasted backwards. The friction of the Kaiten activated the Kokuin seal, however, and he cried out in pain and rage as he received a faceful of electrified air. The shock was moderate, and hurt his pride more than his body, but it still hurt, and it made Hiashi vengeful.

Through his muddied forward vision, he saw that one of the clones had expected the Kaiten and hung back out of range. Hiashi prepared himself to dodge as the blue-yellow chakra blur rushed forward, a fist cocked and held high for the deathblow.

However, at the last moment, the blur's fist opened and the speed of the body attached to it increased dramatically, slamming the palm—and with it a bolt of chakra—directly into Hiashi's stomach. The head of the Hyuuga Clan staggered backwards several steps before falling into the mud.

_That was the Jyuuken! _Hiashi thought. Wiping his eyes frantically, he looked with mud-free Byakugan eyes at Hyuuga Haruka, whose Caged Bird seal spread the yellow pall throughout her entire chakra system. The evil little smile played on her lips as she regarded Hiashi on his ass in the mud.

"About time you showed up, Haruka," said the blind man as he picked himself up. "Did you stop at a vending machine on the way here?

"Blame your bunshin," she called back to him. "If he hadn't been so slow finding me, and even slower opening up my tenketsus again, you might not have had to burn up all those pretty Ghost Arms of yours."

"Excuse me," said Keisuke, "They're not burned up yet."

"Might as well be. You've got maybe two more minutes, tops."

Keisuke walked up to stand next to her. "Then let's end this now and get out of here. If we're lucky, you won't have to lead me out by the hand."

Haruka favored him with a smile, then they both charged straight at Hiashi, who struggled to pick himself up.

_How did the bunshin find her quickly enough to restore her and bring her here?_ Hiashi wondered as he watched Keisuke boost her leap. While Haruka sailed over his head, the answer came to him. _Of course. I had to close her eyes myself. She was never unconscious in the first place, only pretending, and once I was out of earshot she was able to call out to the bunshins so they would find her by sound. To be able to resist a knockout blow, and then to deceive me so well..._

His tired and pained body reacted slowly, and he barely managed to deflect both Haruka's and Keisuke's blow at the same time.

"When did you become so skilled at feigning weakness?" he asked her.

As she dropped to the ground and kicked his legs out from under him, she said, "Since I found something too precious to be weak for."

Hiashi stumbled, giving Keisuke the opportunity he needed. The blind man's crackling palm slapped into the middle of his back.

"**Kokuin Kai, Raiko no Baindingu!"** (Carved Seal Release, Binding of Lightning)

The seal of lightning, amplified by the Sanjuuni Reiude, tore off of Keisuke's skin and rippled onto Hiashi, where it affixed itself in a pattern that was the mirror image of the original. Hiashi tensed, waiting for the pain...

But it did not come.

"You are caught in the Binding of Lightning," said Keisuke. "You may recall that the Seal of Lightning works by lashing out with jolts of electricity when it encounters friction. The Binding works in a similar fashion, but since the seal is in the mirror pattern, the effect will focus inward rather than outward. I suggest that you hold still if you don't want to get fried."

In that moment, Hyuuga Hiashi knew that he had been beaten.

"We'd love to stay and gloat," Haruka said, "But we need to be on our way. It'll take forever to lead this blind fool home once his pretty Reiude disintegrates... Ah, look at that, it's gone already!"

"Heh," Keisuke grunted. "All the more fun for you, eh?"

Haruka pause a moment, considering. Then she replied, "Actually, it might not be as bothersome as I once thought. If nothing else, I can catch up on all the humiliation I've missed giving you."

"We'll see about that once we're safely out of here, Sadist."

"So we will. Come on, Sightless One. Take my hand and let's get going."

She extended her arm and Keisuke—after some grappling with the air—caught it. After she gave Keisuke a reassuring squeeze, affirming that she would not suddenly let go and send him plowing into yet another garbage canister, the two of them leaped onto the hedgetops and prepared to depart.

Hiashi watched them go and wondered when it would be safe to move. Then, out of the darkness, an authoritative female voice hailed them.

"Haka no Keisuke, Hyuuga Haruka!" called the Hokage, "Don't go anywhere yet. Lead me to Hiashi. I have news for him, and orders for you, when you're ready."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The once-mighty terror that inhabited Uzumaki Naruto was awake and aware. Kyuubi had felt the changes come over his unwilling host and was very curious to see what it was all about. The moment he had finished applying chakra towards the boy's healing, the beast looked into his mind, finding the information that he had missed while he was sleeping.

What he found nearly caused him to reel back in alarm. Kyuubi had heard of this seal used by the Hyuuga, of course, but never had he dreamed that it would be affixed to his own container. This was a most puzzling surprise, even for one as ancient and as wise as the mighty demon.

Yet, his surprise was—quite expectedly—short-lived. Within moments, Kyuubi had tossed it aside and begun analyzing this new plaything, looking for a way in which it might be turned to his advantage.

_**Curious, **_he said to himself, **_most curious indeed. This seal is meant to keep the secrets of an attribute that the brat doesn't have. The killing function would work perfectly, no doubt, that much is clear from looking at it. But the object around which its primary purpose revolves is missing—Technically, this means that the seal should not have taken root at all, and yet it apparently has. Most curious._**

He curled his tails around him, settling down to scrutinize the new seal in comfort.

_**This will require more than a few moments' study, it seems. No matter; time means nothing to one such as I. Eventually, I will make this Caged Bird seal work in my favor, and when that happens...**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Damn it! When does this stupid itching stop?"

Naruto slapped his forehead for the umpteenth time that evening. It had begun prickling horribly since he had left the village, and showed no signs of stopping. The feeling came in rolling waves, as though an invisible hand were probing it over and over again, bringing irritation to every spot that it touched.

"Ragh, when Neji talked about having this done to him, he didn't mention anything about this!" he complained to the wind.

After a few more slaps, the prickling seemed to grow less severe for a while, and Naruto allowed his thoughts to wander into other areas. In particular, they revolved around his friends and the situation back home. He'd been gone a few hours now... surely Keisuke and Haruka's fight with Hinata's father was over? Who had won? Was Hinata keeping her forehead covered? Had she told Sakura about what had happened? If so, would she tell anyone else? Did Tsunade Baa-chan have the Hyuuga under control? With all this floating around in his mind, it was excessively difficult to find time to think about the mission ahead.

It was not surprising, therefore, that he did not notice his assailants until they were practically in his face.

"What the hell?" he yelled in surprise. His reflexes saved him, allowing him to leap to the side just as the enemy hurled itself at the space he had occupied only a second earlier. No sooner had he dodged the first than the second one was on him, flailing wildly in his direction like the first, apparently attempting to crush him with the weight of its entire body. This time, Naruto got a good look at his enemy's face before evading. Upon the assailant's forehead was a seal exactly like the one that now burned in Naruto's.

"Hyuuga!" Naruto cried in startled surprise. He dodged a third, fourth and fifth before the attacks stopped coming, and then he whipped around to face them all and yell at them for attacking their own comrades.

His yell died in his throat. All of the Hyuuga lay on the ground before him, unmistakably dead. They had been dead when they had "attacked" him; someone had tried to use their corpses as projectile weapons. For a moment, he gaped in shock, wondering who would dare to defile a human body in this way. Then his gape turned to one of awe as strong whirlwinds kicked up, lifting the dead Hyuuga into the air once more. With a start, they jerked towards him again.

"Not this time!" he said, and he defended himself with the Tomoshibi no Kyuubi, the shining tails gently catching the corpses and laying them down into the dust to rest.

"You jerk!" he called. "You shouldn't abuse the dead like that, no matter how stuck-up they were when they were alive! Get out here and fight me yourself!"

"I wouldn't be so gentle with them if I were in your shoes, boy," replied a calm, gentle voice that reverberated through the air. "After all, they intended to kill you, and that would have been such a waste of a fine Jinchuuriki."

Naruto looked around for the source of the voice, but his search was ended when he was blasted off of his feet from behind and sent skidding across the forest floor. He managed to get his tails under him and cushion most of his body against harm, but the wind was knocked out of him, and he had to catch his breath a moment before rising. Once on his feet, Naruto looked into the eyes of his true attacker.

He was a tall man in his mid thirties. His hair was pure white and it framed his pale face perfectly, giving him a seraphic air. Naruto might even have called him pretty for a guy if he hadn't been wearing the black coat patterned with red clouds.

"You... you're one of the 'Akatsuki' ninjas!" Naruto said.

"You are right, of course," said the enemy. "And you are Uzumaki Naruto, the container of Kyuubi. I am surprised that you have actually come."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Naruto's eyes were fierce and alert, and his blue tails fanned around him protectively. He was not about to be taken alive by this freak, not by a long shot.

"When I observed these Hyuuga in their camp, I heard them speak of you," replied the man calmly. "I heard them say that you had developed a close friendship with one of their kin, and that this person was to be horrendously punished. Considering your attitude towards your friends, I thought it unlikely that you would agree to leave on a mission while this person was forced to endure such suffering. But it seems that you have come anyway. How very fortunate for me."

"Fortunate, my ass," Naruto said. "I'll die before I let myself be taken by a creep like you."

The man frowned. "I hope not. As I said, your death here would be such a waste. And to think, those Hyuuga might have succeeded if I had not been here. After all, they were clever enough to trick the Hokage..."

"What?"

"Ah, that's right, you wouldn't know. You see, as I listened to them, I overheard more about their plans than their simple intention to kill you; they spent much time gloating over how easy it had been to fool the Hokage into thinking that they were a client asking for a mission. They laughed when they mimed the tears which they said nobody would cry when they sent in the fake report that you had died in the line of duty."

Naruto was taken aback. If this man was right—and he sounded sincere—then the whole mission was a hoax, and he'd been delivered into the jaws of the worst possible enemy because of it. The blond felt a wave of anger towards the Hyuuga; he'd known that they wouldn't mind having him dead, but faking a mission to lead him to his doom was just downright dirty. He had to quell the anger, however, for now was the time to think about staying alive.

"I don't suppose you'll come quietly," said the assailant, "But with luck, I can capture you without causing too much damage." He brought his hands out of his sleeves.

Naruto tensed, wondering what was coming from this evil master of ninjutsu. He watched as the Akatsuki ninja rapidly ran through a set of seals.

"**Futon: Fushishidan no jutsu!" **(Wind Style: Wind Lion Bullet technique)

The air coalesced before Naruto's enemy and roared after its target. Naruto was quick on his feet, but it was clear that the jutsu, which moved with the speed of the wind, was much faster. He attempted to block it with his tails.

"That won't work," said the Akatsuki attacker. He was right; the jutsu pounced onto Naruto, passing through the gaps in the tails and bearing him down to the ground. Naruto found himself wrestling with the air, struggling to rise from underneath it's howling pressure. He might as well have tried to throw a large predatory cat off of himself.

Meanwhile the jutsu's caster had drawn a pair of sais from his sleeves, and their gleaming short blades flashed in the sunset as he advanced on the blond. If Naruto didn't do something quickly, he was going to have his hands sliced off.

"Damn it!" Naruto said. He couldn't get the relentless air off of him, so he did the next best thing, and countered with ninjutsu of his own.

"**Suiton, Suishuuha!" **(Water Style, Water Wave)

A nearby stream gave forth its flows to his call, and the mighty tidal wave rose up against the oncoming attacker. The Akatsuki member saw the colossal jutsu coming for him and put away his sais, performing another set of hand seals.

"**Futon, Fushouheki!" **(Wind Style, Wind Barrier)

The wind whipped around him, and Naruto saw the water that he had called splash against it and spray in all directions except towards the enemy. His jutsu was thwarted. Yet, the effort of defending himself had caused the enemy's previous jutsu to lift, and Naruto was able to stand up again.

"A high-level jutsu, very impressive," said his enemy. "But your chakra is obviously not attuned to the water element; the Suishuuha technique is difficult and taxing for those who are not, and that jutsu was not nearly as strong as it could have been. Against my wind-element jutsu, to which I am well-suited, it was largely ineffective."

Naruto felt the truth in his body; he was by no means out of the game, but that attack had made a dent in his chakra reserves nonetheless. And it _had _been hard to learn.

"Now, I will show you some of the glory of the Futon-class ninjutsu. **Futon: Meimeiken no jutsu!" **(Wind Style: Invisible Blade technique)

One hand formed a series of seals while the other extended itself towards Naruto. At first, nothing happened, and Naruto was puzzled. But then, a noise to his left caught his attention—the noise of wood being shredded. He turned his head in time to see a pair of trees begin to topple towards him, their trunks having been cut through by an unknown force. Naruto leaped out of the way and started towards his opponent, forming seals with his own hands.

"**Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"**

Fifty shadow clones materialized, and they charged together, each one's tails whipping in the wind behind them. Immediately, several of them were hit by an unseen force, which cut huge, bloody gashes in them before they popped away.

"Damn you!" Naruto yelled. "Everyone! Form up for the Bunshin Tomoshibiha (Clone Light Wave)!"

The Bunshin Tomoshibiha involved Naruto and all of his clones curling themselves into balls with their tails forming protective shells around their bodies. The idea was to have all of these "Naruto balls" roll towards the enemy in a wave, inevitably steamrolling them. In practice, it was more effective against groups of enemies, but something had to be done about this "invisible blade," and Naruto believed quite reasonably that the enveloping tails, combined with the rolling motion, would help throw it off. The remaining Narutos followed through on his command, and the wave set upon its foe.

While the tails and the rolling did slow down the enemy's jutsu, it did not totally prevent it. More and more bunshins fell as the wave closed in, and by the time it reached the target, there were only four left. These four were easily dodged, and Naruto came out of his "ball form" in great frustration. He was about to swear violently at the Akatsuki member when the trees on either side of him began to topple, and he had to move swiftly to avoid them. As he moved farther and farther back, more trees fell in his wake. Two of his bunshins didn't make it.

"Orah! You bastard!" he yelled at the enemy. **"Katon: Karyuu Endan!" **

The blast of flame decimated the trees that had fallen behind him and the trees that would be falling on him next. He would have liked to decimate the enemy, too, but no such luck; another blast of air punched through his flame jutsu and would have pinned him again had he not quickly intervened with Kawarimi no jutsu, replacing his body with a fallen log.

Hidden among the branches of a tall pine tree, Naruto caught his breath. He heard his enemy speak again.

"Another impressive jutsu," called the Akatsuki member, "But it seems that you are not well-suited to Katon-class jutsus, either. My jutsu defeated yours far too easily."

Naruto was forced to leap from the tree as it fell to the wind master's might. He landed heavy-footed on the ground, facing his enemy squarely. His brain scrambled to think of some new trick.

"Well," said the wind-master Akatsuki, "It has been fun playing tag with you, Uzumaki Naruto. But unless you decide that Kyuubi could use some exercise, I believe the fun will end now. This next blow will render you unconscious."

As the hand seals were formed, Naruto stood resolute. He would fight it, whatever it was. Uzumaki Naruto would always fight. When the spiraling blast of air rocketed toward him, he performed his counteraction more out of reflex than conscious thought.

"**Reiude Ninpou: Raifu Daigeki!"** (Ghostly Arm Secret Art: Lightning Wind Strike)

Wind ripped along his extended Ghostly Arm, straight through the heart of the enemy's blast. The force of the blast was almost concussive, and it disintegrated not only the Arm, but the opposing jutsu as well. When the dust cleared, both of them were standing upright and staring awestruck at the space between them. The area had been completely wasted; everything had either been blown away or cut into pieces or both, and the ground was utterly barren, a long trench running between the two ninja.

The Akatsuki wind master was the first one to speak. "Well, what do you know?" he said. "Finally an element that suits you. You are like me, with chakra attuned to the wind. I almost feel badly for having to turn you over to my superior; there are so many things that you could have learned, and you may have become greater even than me... just look at this destruction!"

Naruto had been looking, and he had to agree that it was most impressive.

"But, sadly, my mission demands that I nip this young bud before its time. It has been a great pleasure to know you, Uzumaki Naruto. It will sadden me greatly to watch you die."

His hands came forward again, preparing to try a different—and equally dangerous—tactic.

However, he never got the chance to complete his next jutsu, for he was forced to draw his sais and turn to combat a new danger. This danger had long, unruly white hair, wore red, and carried a heavy scroll on its back. It possessed tremendous strength and a wide arsenal of powerful ninjutsu. It was the scourge of every bathhouse built for use by women.

Its name was Jiraiya.

"Naruto!" he yelled, catching one of his enemy's hands by the wrist and blocking the second blade with his wrist plates. "Naruto, go back to Konoha right now! This guy is the least of your problems!"

"Huh? Ero-Sennin!" Naruto was actually relieved to see the perverted hermit for once. "What do you mean, least of my problems?"

"Just go!" Jiraiya yelled. Already, the enemy was realizing that his prey was going to try to escape, and was making it difficult for the Toad Sannin to stop him. "Tsunade will explain it to you when you get there. If what I've heard is true, Konoha might be in huge trouble really soon, and thanks to those Hyuuga clowns, it's only half-ready! As the future Hokage, you're needed in your village!"

The words hit Naruto's mind like a truck. The village in trouble meant all of his friends in trouble. And for Ero-Sennin to be this urgent, he must be really serious. And of course, Uzumaki Naruto, being the next Lord Hokage, would never let his people die if he could help it.

"All right," he yelled. "I'll go now! Thanks, Ero-Sennin... Don't take too long with that Akatsuki guy, if it's as bad a problem as you say it is, they'll need you, too!"

"Just shut up and go, you fool!" Jiraiya had to really work to prevent the enemy from escaping and following Naruto. He'd only been watching this member of Akatsuki for a few days before he took a break and visited the village again. From what he'd seen, he hadn't expected such physical strength.

Naruto, thankfully, did run off this time, and within seconds he was gone from view. The Akatsuki wind master finally broke free, but seeing as Naruto was now all but irretrievable, he did not immediately run after him.

"Well," said the man calmly, "It seems that I have lost my target to you."

"Yeah," replied Jiraiya.

"I think that some retribution is in order for that." His hands brandished the sais.

Jiraiya did not reply, but made ready to guard himself. Before battle was joined again, he had time for one thought.

_Run like hell, Naruto. Protect your precious people well._

OoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty-Two oOoOoOoOoO

Next chapter: Hiashi learns just how twisted his Advisors were. Konoha's forces scramble to get back on the search for the Sound, and Naruto races home, fearing that they'll be caught with their pants down. What will the results be? Read on.


	25. Interlude: Hyuuga & Uzumaki

**A/N: **To my reviewers: I just want to say one thing—I love you guys. It's been great sharing this magic with you, and it's been even more awesome to keep talking about it. If any of you ever want a review or an opinion from me on anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. PM me with email me, hit me up on MSN/Windows messenger, I'm almost always willing to hear you out—besides, a lot of you have been sticking with me for so long that you pretty much deserve it... repayment, ya know?

Okay, now that THAT's out of the way...

I'd like to know if any of you still have any questions that I haven't answered in the story. If there are, I'll do what I can to get them answered ASAP. You have my word of honor.

Now, if you're ready (I'm sure you are, but you never know), lets move on in Lacking Sight with...

**Interlude: Hyuuga and Uzumaki**

Night had settled over the Hyuuga compound. The throng of spectators that had witnessed the battle in the courtyard and garden had been herded back to their rooms by the ANBU, who even now patrolled the property with an authoritative and tense disposition. All of the lamps and lights had been doused, and the place had been plunged into pitch darkness. The Hokage had imposed martial law upon the Hyuuga Clan.

The only place where there was any light whatsoever was in the Main House's practice hall, where Hyuuga Hiashi, head of the clan, knelt in judgment before the Godaime Hokage. Here, the ANBU had provided dim green glow-lamps, which were placed around Hiashi in a square pattern, lighting only the Head's form and nothing else. He knelt alone, surrounded by darkness.

"Hyuuga Hiashi," began Tsunade, "I come to your home to settle a number of issues that have come to my attention. As you might have guessed, some of these concern you personally, and you will be judged as the village law dictates." The Hokage's eyes could be felt burning into him through the inky dark, and though her tone was level and clear, it held the promise of doom if he did not satisfy her requirements.

"Are you prepared to accept the judgment of your Hokage and to be bound by honor and discipline to your sentence?"

There was only one reply Hiashi could give. If he had nothing else left, he had his loyalty to the village.

"I am, Hokage-sama."

"Then hear me," said Tsunade. "Upon our arrival here, it was discovered that you had fought and intended to kill Haka no Keisuke and Hyuuga Haruka, two of your fellow shinobi and citizens of Konohagakure no Sato. Over a dozen witnesses confirm this. Do you choose to deny these claims?"

Hiashi grimaced. He hadn't wanted to kill Haruka, but the blind man was part of the same accusation.

"I do not, Hokage-sama."

"Second," continued the Godaime, "The malevolent conspiracy of your Advisory Council has committed an act of high treason; they deliberately confused our counterespionage operations against a foreign invader to suit their own ends, and in doing so endangered our entire village. In addition, they have plotted the murder of a fellow shinobi and citizen of Konohagakure no Sato. Were you aware of this, Hiashi?"

The claim was a complete surprise to him. However, reviewing his past interactions with today's council, he decided that he would not have put it past them.

"No, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's gaze grew colder. Though he could not see it, Hiashi could feel it on the back of his neck.

"As a leader for your clan," she said, "Do you feel that you did everything in your power to keep your Advisory Council under control and made every possible effort to know their intentions?"

A pang of guilt shot through him. "No, Hokage-sama."

A long silence passed before Tsunade spoke again. Hiashi could feel ten pairs of ANBU eyes watching him, as well as the Hokage's cold scrutiny. He had no intention to oppose them, but the pressure of their intimidating presence was felt nonetheless.

Finally, Tsunade asked, "Hyuuga Hiashi, I am prepared to render your judgment and sentence. Will you hear it?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Another short pause as Tsunade nodded, and then one of the ANBU turned on the overhead lights. Pressure was lifted in the room as the pure, white illumination flooded the hall.

"No complaints have come forth from either Haka no Keisuke or Hyuuga Haruka. In fact, both of them have spoken to me and confessed to provoking you. They have asked me to formally drop all charges if you will agree to the conditions that they have dictated to me. Will you hear these conditions?"

Though it prickled him to have to accept retribution from Keisuke, Hiashi was tired of fighting.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade spoke them for him, reading from a paper: "First condition: You, Hyuuga Hiashi, will forbid any mistreatment of Hyuuga Haruka by any Hyuuga under your command, including both Main and Branch Houses. The penalty for violation must include the public display of all reputation-compromising items in the front yard of the Hyuuga compound, properly labeled with the offender's name, and the unceremonious dropping of the offender into a garbage receptacle no more than two days prior to the scheduled emptying of that receptacle."

The order got a laugh from a couple of the ANBU standing watch. Hiashi didn't doubt which one of them had thought up that particular condition.

"Second," Tsunade went on, "You, Hyuuga Hiashi, must make reparations to your daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, for 'numerous nameless discourtesies' done to her by your will. The nature of these reparations will be defined by Hinata herself, and you, Hiashi, will be honor-bound to fulfill them or face punishment the nature of which will be determined jointly by Haka no Keisuke and Hyuuga Haruka."

This one surprised Hiashi. Since when did this impostor of a blind ancestor care about the goodwill of Hiashi's daughter?

"Third and last," said the Hokage, "You, Hyuuga Hiashi, must acknowledge Haka no Keisuke as the true identity of the blind man whose death you sought this afternoon."

Could he accept this? There were plenty of reasons not to.

"Do you agree to abide by these terms, Hiashi?"

Yet, here was one reason to believe: the man had the best interests of the Hyuugas' children at heart. If Hiashi could believe that, then he might one day learn to believe in the man himself.

"They are, Hokage-sama," he said.

Tsunade smiled. "Then I acquit you of those charges."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"As to the matter of your weak control over your council, certain measures have already been carried out. Your Advisory Council has been disbanded, and Hyuuga Takashi has been put to death. The rest of the advisors have been arrested and are awaiting trial. We will require you to attend these trials as a key witness, of course."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Also, you will be allowed to remain the ruler of your clan, but I will be placing you under probation. Once daily and at any other time that I choose to, I or an ANBU representing me will come to call at your house. At these times, you will answer the questions that we ask you truthfully and submit to all requests to search the property. Is that clear?"

"It is, Hokage-sama."

"Good."

Tsunade signaled to the ANBU. They packed up the glow-lamps and began to file out of the hall. The Godaime left last, pausing only to speak a final word to him over her shoulder.

"My condolences for what happened to Hinata. The ANBU and I will keep all of this quiet for as long as we can, or until you choose to go public with it. The girl has been through enough; I think its only fair that she doesn't lose anything more by belonging to a clan with a sundered reputation."

With those parting words, Tsunade left Hyuuga Hiashi to his thoughts. The ANBU left the Hyuuga compound, and all became tenuously peaceful.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata tread the dark passages of her home swiftly and silently. She was swift because she wanted to conduct her business an leave; her cousin and her friend waited for her by the gates, and she did not wish to make them wait long. She was silent because she did not wish to alert the other residents to her presence. Hinata was only going to meet with one person here, and contact with anyone else could prove to be unpleasant.

She was not surprised to find her parents' bedchamber unoccupied. After what had happened that day, she did not think that she would be getting much sleep, either. She moved on, checking the gardens, the dining room, and, lastly, the practice hall.

At this last place, she knew she had been successful, for she passed the Godaime Hokage as she was leaving. Tsunade gave her a wink as she moved by, and Hinata took it to mean that things had stabilized. Choosing to interpret this optimistically, the young Hyuuga collected herself for only a moment before she entered the hall. Inside, she found her father on his knees, his eyes closed, lost in himself.

Hinata walked towards him, motioned to kneel before him.

"Otousan..."

"Hinata," he interrupted. "For all of your life, I have expected so much of you. In your early years, I expected too much... but that is past now, long past. I believe that you have forgiven me for that already."

His face twisted into a grim smile for a moment before he continued, though his eyes did not open.

"For these most recent days, I have expected what I had no right to expect, or even to dream of expecting from you. I expected you to kowtow to the illegitimate demands of a corrupt body that had gotten the best of me. Because of this, my poor leadership, you have suffered damage that can never be undone."

Hinata, looking at him, could see the tears leaking out from behind his tightly closed eyelids. Though he tried stoically to withhold them, they would not be held. Hiashi fell to his hands and knees, lowering his head to her.

"I am sorry, my daughter! I have been commanded to make reparations, and I will obey, but I know that nothing I can do for you will erase my debt to you."

Hinata was unused to feeling pity for her father. Feeling it now made her feel uncomfortable. She knew that she could not allow him to go on acting this way, or else the discomfort would never leave. Her father was a strong person by nature; before she left, she would see him off of his knees and onto his feet. Lifting her hands, she untied her hitai-ate and let it fall to the floor.

Hiashi stared at it as it lay at his daughter's feet. He dared not look up into her face, for he feared the sight of the seal there would eat at his soul forever. Yet, when Hinata's voice floated down to him—clear, strong, and gentle—he found that he could not refuse.

"Father, look at me," she said.

Slowly, he raised his head. Then his eyes experienced a wild series of fluctuations. First they showed confusion, then disbelief, then they moved on to wonder and finally settled on the one Hinata wanted: joy. For upon Hinata's forehead, he had seen something that he had never dreamed he would see there again.

He had seen nothing but pale, healthy skin.

"Hinata!" he cried. He leaped to his feet, running his hand across her brow as though he could not get enough of the emptiness there. "You are clean! Hale, whole, uncursed!"

"Hai, Father," Hinata said. "I have not been damaged as you thought I was. Nor will I be."

"The gods smile upon us!" Hiashi said. His eyes were awash in gratitude to those gods, and his lips were curved so far upward that his mouth nearly went vertical with happiness. "My prayers were answered. We will hold a banquet in their honor, and in yours, Hinata..."

"There is one other that you should consider honoring," Hinata said. "For he is responsible for the council's failure."

"Ah, yes," Hiashi said. "Somewhere in this clan, mercy must still exist. Perhaps one of the Branch, who had been through such pain before, took pity on you... Who was it, Hinata? I will thank him personally, and he will be revered in this house for all his days..."

Hinata's face was calm and composed as she spoke the name her father least expected to hear.

"He was not a Hyuuga. He disguised himself and took the branding in my place. His name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Neither of them spoke another word. Hinata bowed to her stunned father, turned, and left the room. She went back to her companions, leaving him to absorb the information in blessed solitude.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Thankfully, there had not been many people out and about that day, or Sakura, Neji, and Hinata would have had to endure the questions of the general populace as they clustered around the Hyuuga complex wondering what all the noise had been about. As it was, the trio was able to move through the night unmolested.

Still, they spoke in hushed voices to one another. None of them wanted to have to explain the entire long, complicated story to any random passerby.

"Do you really think that Naruto will be all right?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto-kun is strong. The team that the council sent to assassinate him probably isn't nearly as strong," Hinata said.

"And if they are," Neji added, "Then he is strong enough to last until the reinforcements arrive. Tsunade-sama told me that she sent extra-special aid to him..."

"No, that's not..." Sakura said. "I'm sorry. You're right, but that wasn't what I meant. I was talking about this seal that you said he has now."

"I wonder about that, too," agreed Hinata, watching her feet. "It hasn't been done to anyone who was not a Hyuuga. And the Kyuubi... I keep worrying that some horrible side effect will show up..."

"But you said that he seemed fine when he left, Hinata-sama," said Neji.

"Yes," Hinata said, "I did. But..."

"Neji-san," said Sakura, "You would probably know more about the whole process than either of us. Is there anything we should be watching out for?"

Neji considered for a moment, and the eyes of both girls lingered on his contemplative face. At last, he looked straight ahead of himself and started talking.

"As you said, it hasn't been done to anyone like Naruto before," he said, "But I can tell you what is normal, and we may judge his symptoms—or lack thereof—against that."

Hinata and Sakura nodded.

"Normally," Neji went on, "One can expect mild headache and irritation, which becomes more severe in older subjects. Occasionally, mild unexplained changes in behavioral patterns, such as lack of appetite or a mellowing of attitude, will become apparent, but this is usually temporary. Other than that, most subjects can function normally within minutes of the procedure's completion."

"He had the headache," Hinata recalled. "It was so bad at first that he could barely walk straight. Terrible..."

"But he was acting normally very quickly, wasn't he?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Hinata said, her pride for Naruto evident in her eyes, "He was."

Neji, after a few more moments consideration, offered another point. "I think that there is little to worry about at present. While the subject lives, the only function that the seal has is to bring pain to the subject when the secret Main House seal is formed. All that is needed for this function is nerve cells, which Naruto has.

"It is the effect that the seal has on the dead that I think we should be concerned about. When the subject dies, it is supposed to seal up the Byakugan ability so that its secrets are not revealed. However, Naruto has no Byakugan, so this function cannot be carried out as intended. What will happen when Naruto dies, I cannot say, but I think that if the seal will be at all dangerous, it will be then."

"Well then," Sakura said, "We'll just have to make sure that he doesn't die, won't we? Think you can handle the job, Hinata-chan?" She gave a witty smirk in the Hyuuga girl's direction.

Hinata looked at her incredulously at first, but then her expression softened. She smiled at her pink-haired friend and nodded her head.

"I think so, Sakura-chan. I'll do my best."

"We're here," Neji announced.

Together, the three of them pushed through the gates of Keisuke's home.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"It's dark," Sakura observed.

"Maybe Keisuke-san is sleeping?" suggested Hinata.

"Nah, with Haruka taking care of him, there's no way he'd sleep peacefully..."

With Neji in front, they strode down the hallway towards Keisuke's dining room. No noise of bickering between the two occupants greeted them, and no lights shone to guide their way. It seemed as though the place were deserted. Finally, they reached the door, and Neji pulled it open.

"How about some light, you guys?" Sakura asked. She couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness.

Neji and Hinata were better prepared for darkness. Their Byakugans activated almost as one, and they entered the room seeking some source of light to aid their less gifted friend. After a moment, Sakura heard Hinata give a soft laugh.

"Eh?" Sakura said, "What's so funny?"

"Please, keep your voice down," said Neji. "You'll disturb them." Sakura couldn't see him, but she could almost hear the smirk in his tone of voice.

"Ah, that's not fair," Sakura whispered loudly. "You can't hide it forever, come on! Tell me what it is."

At last Neji, who had made his way carefully to the other side of the room, pulled open the door that opened to the outdoor walkway. Cool night air rushed in, and with it came the dim light of distant street lamps. Sakura strained her eyes, searching the room for whatever it was that had so entertained her two friends. After a few moments, she found what she was looking for.

Hinata had been right; Keisuke _was_ sleeping, and quite soundly from the look of it. His exhaustion from fighting Haruka and then Hiashi, coupled with the strain of activating the Sanjuuni Reiude, had taken all his energy away from him.

But it was not the fact that Keisuke was sleeping that brought the smirk to Sakura's lips; it was the sight of Haruka laying sideways across his chest, her head cushioned on his sternum, as fast asleep as her partner was. She had apparently drifted off while guarding his rest.

"Look at her face," Hinata giggled, "It's just as sinister as when she gave me those pictures..."

"Yet, she seems oddly at peace, as well," observed Neji. "Perhaps we had best be going. We wouldn't want to wake them up when they're... erm... like this."

"Yeah," Sakura said, "Keisuke-san may say something wrong and get hurt."

"He probably will whether we're here or not," Neji said, starting for the door, "Come on." He stepped out, and Sakura went after him.

Hinata came last. She stopped at the door, turning to take one last look at them. Then she bowed.

"Thank you," she said.

"Hinata!" came Sakura's harsh whisper, "Are you coming?"

Hinata turned back to the door.

"Coming, Sakura-chan."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In a secret place known only to the last survivors of the Uchiha Clan, a tall young man knelt alone before a shrine. The compact space was lit by a single candle, which flickered ominously in the darkness. It illuminated dark hair, a noble, handsome brow, and fair skin.

This young man had watched, waited, and planned for long weeks. All of his forces were now ready; they awaited only his command, which they knew would come soon, for the enemy above was experiencing troubles among their own ranks. Now was the perfect time to capitalize on their weakness.

He felt the presence of one of his subordinates behind him, and turned to face it. His eyes opened. The subordinate cringed in fear of the red irises, the three black tear marks revolving around each pupil. He had seen those eyes reduce bigger men than him to lifeless sacks of so much flesh and bone and blood. Yet he was fortunate today; his master's thoughts of carnage were elsewhere.

"Sir," the subordinate said, bowing low, "Your forces are growing restless. We have been waiting long now. They grow anxious for blood, and want to know when they will be allowed to spill it. Sir, what shall I tell them?"

"Tell them," said Uchiha Sasuke, "That they'll have their fun tonight."

OoOoOoO End Interlude OoOoOoO


	26. C23: I Must Protect!

**A/N: **After an introduction, two interludes, and twenty-two chapters, the Hyuuga Arc—the bulk of the Naruto and Co. vs. Mean Old Hyuugas—is over. Arc II will focus on the aftereffects of Arc I (I.E., where the hell is Hiroto, what will become of Naruto and his new seal, will the Clan pull itself back together, etc.) as well as on Sasuke and Orochimaru. For those of you wondering about Akatsuki: I may or may not do a third Arc revolving around them. It all depends on how much I can write before I ship out to Boot Camp this coming February. If I don't have time, I might have to shorten it and/or write it as a separate, sequel story.

Another round of thanks to my readers and reviewers. Continuing would have been impossible without you.

Now then, I'm sure you're all dying to get on with Arc II. For those who didn't have the patience to read through the whole Arc I though, here's a recap of where everybody is:

Hiashi sits in his home, alone in darkness both physical and spiritual. In the wake of the eventful and dramatic day, he struggles to settle the turbulence in his own mind.

Keisuke and Haruka sleep in the blind man's home, both drained from two great and terrible battles in the same day. Their recently fractured partnership is repaired and stronger now than before.

In the streets of Konoha, Hinata, Neji, and Sakura go to their respective homes. Each wonders in his or her mind what is to come out of the aftermath of the day's explosive and conclusive conflict.

Below, in the quiet, dark, hidden places of the village, a deadly threat that has long lain in wait begins to stir.

Beyond the village gates, Naruto races home with all the speed he can muster. Despite discomfort caused him by his new seal and being roughed up by a member of the dread organization, Akatsuki, Jiraiya has told him that the village—and therefore, everything that he holds dear—is probably in grave danger. He dares not hesitate.

Here begins the second part of Lacking Sight. I hope that you enjoy it as you did the first.

**Chapter Twenty-Three: I Must Protect...!**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was as silent as a sealed tomb. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of tree leaves in the cool night breeze. Not even the wall patrols made any sort of noise—a testament to their fine skill.

It was dark. The clouds that hovered constantly over the village completely obscured the light of the moon and the stars. Street lamps had been turned off, the Hokage having called an immediate and mandatory blackout in light of the discovery that the criminals caught in the old royal dungeons had been fake. No civilians were to leave their homes until the blackout was lifted in the morning. While it was inconvenient to the populace, it suited the patrols fine; the darkness extended their domain, making it easy for them to remain unseen in the shadows, thus better arming them against the intruders that they had been told to expect. Also, with the civilians ordered indoors, it would be impossible for an enemy to blend in with the night crowds. Anyone sneaking up from the bowels of the earth to attack the village would find quiet and instant death in the blanketing shadows.

All was as tense as it was quiet. The civilian people could not sleep this night, having been told earlier that evening that such great danger might be right under their feet. Of course, they had also been told that it was just speculation, that there might not be as great an enemy as they had thought, that the shinobi were prepared in case there was... but still they lay awake, counting the hours until the destruction and the killing began, until the darkness grew and grew until it swallowed them all. Hours passed like this.

Then, contrary to what they had feared would happen, the darkness—instead of smothering them as they had feared—broke and lifted. The menacing black clouds, which had hovered over the village for weeks, finally parted. For the first time in what seemed like a bleak eternity, the moon shone brightly over Konoha, bathing the village in silver light. All of those awake felt relief at the sight of the radiant orb, and some of them were even compelled to come out of their homes and stare up at it, cheering the return of light, their fears eased.

But this cheerfulness was short-lived, ending in cataclysm as the shouts of joy—the ones that were not immediately choked off—became screams of agony or horror as the silver light of the moon was joined by the red and orange flashes of fire and the silence was broken by the cacophony of explosions and crumbling earth. People watching through their windows stood aghast as they witnessed sewer gratings blown into the sky, the stone around them cracking and caving in to form massive holes. The wall patrols were temporarily frozen in shock as sections of ground rumbled, jumped, and then collapsed down, taking entire buildings with them and leaving massive craters.

Some patrols recovered themselves quickly, and went to investigate them. Not all of these brave men and women were experienced or quick-thinking enough to escape the second wave of explosions that blasted in the craters, clearing rubble and further widening the holes. Those that did escape had no time to wonder how all of those explosives had been planted without their notice, for out of the craters came enemy ninja... by the dozens.

Having only just recently discovered that their enemy had not been beaten as reported and left with very little time to organize a counter-effort, the Hokage had done what could be done on such short notice. She had set patrols and ordered the blackouts to ensure that no enemy could enter and attack by stealth. This enemy had opted to enter and attack not quietly, but with a flash and a bang. Konoha was under direct assault, and the shinobi units that Tsunade had been rallying were only half-ready.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Neji had thought that it would be all right to separate from Sakura and go home with Hinata alone. The Hokage had put emergency measures in place, and he believed that they were in modest safety. Now, as the explosive blast tore up the street behind them and the ground rumbled and collapsed under their feet, he knew that his judgment had probably halved their chances of survival.

As soon as they and the chunks of stone and earth around them stopped falling, Neji was on his feet. His Byakugan burned, reflecting the crimson of the dying embers around him.

"Hinata-sama!" he called.

"I'm here, Neji nii-san," said Hinata. Neji found her at the base of the pile of rubble on which he stood, dusting herself off. He leaped down to join her, and inspected her to make sure that she was all right. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt," she affirmed.

Trusting her to know the state of her own health, Neji turned his attention to their surroundings. Immediately, he saw the set of kunai flying towards them. Flinging himself before his cousin, he slapped four from the air with his hands, kicked another aside with his foot, and allowed the rest to sail harmlessly past them to their sides and above them.

Then his expansive vision caught sight of the second and third sets, coming at them from behind and to his left. From his current position, pinned between the projectiles, Hinata, and the pile of rubble to his right, he could not stop them all. "Hina..."

"Neji nii-san, get down!" Hinata yelled. Seeing her stance, Neji knew instantly what she intended to do, and obeyed. He was prostrate on the ground and flat as a pancake in an instant, giving his cousin the room that she needed to work her defensive jutsu.

"**Shugo Hakke: Rokujuuyon Sho!"**

Hakke Shou Kaiten was a poweful defensive tool; its explosive rotation could blow away some of the toughest of assaults from all sides simultaneously. It did have some weaknesses, however. It released a large amount of chakra, and it could not be used indefinitely. Also, it did not seriously damage enemies that were nimble enough to land with their feet under them, and had the danger of knocking away nearby allies as well as enemies.

Hinata's Shugo Hakke used much less chakra, extending a constant, reasonable amount from just the hands rather than a humongous, draining amount from the entire body, relying on the speed and flexibility of the arms rather than the quantity of the chakra. Therefore, it could be used more often and for longer periods of time. In addition, the cutting, slashing shape that Hinata applied to her chakra destroyed the kunai as it encountered them instead of merely flinging them away, ensuring that they would not be picked up and used again by their enemies, and she could swing those chakra blades in whatever direction she wanted, enabling her to purposefully miss her cousin.

The two techniques were stronger than one another depending on the situation. In this situation, Hinata's quick and masterful use of the Shugo Hakke bought them an easy escape from death by mass kunai assaults. The bombardment continued for a few more seconds, and then stopped when it became obvious that the tactic was useless.

"Well, well," came the voice of one of the attackers, "It seems that we are fortunate tonight, boys. One of our primary targets just happened to be passing overhead... what luck!" The man stepped out into the light of the moon and the fires, followed by several more. Their faces were masked, and their forehead protectors gleamed brightly. Neji, standing up and looking at the leader's Hitai-ate, was surprised by what he saw.

"You..." he said, "You're not of the Sound. That is the symbol of the Hidden Village of Rock. What are you doing here?"

"You mean you can't guess?" asked one from the second group, which had emerged behind them. This one wore the symbol he had expected to see on the first—the Sound Village's Hitai-ate. "The Rock Shinobi are the the reason we were able to get in this way. Tunneling under fortifications without making a sound, collapsing roads and buildings with explosives from beneath... These are the special war tactics of the Tsuchikage's men."

"And we were prepared for only the Sound," said Neji to himself. "So the 'attack' of the Naruto clones was a diversion, but not for what we thought it was a diversion _for._ You made it seem as though you had planted the bulk of your forces in hidden places that we didn't know about, while your real invasion troops came in from tunnels that these 'friends' of yours dug.

"That's why our search efforts were useless. Most likely, the diversion was meant not to keep us from noticing a small band of assassins that were sneaking in to hide and await orders, but to keep us from noticing your joint army as it burrowed through the one place where your special diggers would have made noticeable noise: the base of the village walls, which extend for a long way underground."

"Ah, this must be the famous Hyuuga Neji," said the Rock leader. "Personal guard, off and on, to Hyuuga Hinata and one of the most talented Hyuuga alive. Your ability to see through the nature of an enemy's offensive is legendary. But then, it's difficult to see through thirty meters of rock and soil, even for you. We'll be taking the girl, now. Let us have her, and we'll see to it that your death is quick and painless."

Neji backed towards his cousin, raising his arms in front of him. He would protect her, no matter what. "Hinata-sama," he whispered, keeping his head bowed low in case any of his opponents were lip-readers, "When they come, leap over my head. I will propel you to safety and then you must run home immediately. No, do not question!" he snapped. Hinata had been about to protest, unwilling to let him fight alone for her. "It is the duty of the Branch house to protect the Main house, and even if the Clan and its rules are in shambles now, I will still protect you."

"Hey," called the Sound leader, "Don't keep us waiting. Are you going to fight or not?"

Neji ignored him. "You are my cousin, Hinata-sama, and I have come to care for you appropriately. If for no other reason, I will protect you out of reverence for that bond."

Hinata swallowed. "Neji nii-san..."

"He's not going to give up, boys," said the Rock leader. "Let's take 'em. Careful now, the Hyuuga are famously powerful..." The enemy approached from front, left, and rear. There were dozens of them, and none of them were the inexperienced clones that the Advisory Council had created. To fight this many would be to forfeit one's life.

"Neji nii-san," Hinata said, "Thank you!" She jumped, flipping over Neji's head as he'd told her. Without hesitation, Neji gathered the chakra in his palm and sent it whirling out at her. The enemy tried to jump to intercept her, but they were too slow; Neji's Hakke Kusho flung Hinata up and out of the crater too quickly to be caught. She landed light-footed on the solid street above, and was running at a full sprint towards the Hyuuga house instantly.

The enemy, meanwhile, did not stop its charge towards Neji. The Hyuuga Jounin, however, was not at all sacrificing himself by taking the time to help Hinata escape. Against the hordes of shinobi, kunai, and shuriken that were coming at him, he flowed from the motion of the Hakke Kusho right into a fast spin.

"**Kaiten!"**

While the Shugo Hakke was excellent at deflecting and destroying infinite amounts of small projectiles and enemies who didn't appreciate having limbs sliced off, it didn't have the momentum to completely stop the forward motion of such a great mass of intelligent, quick, strong human bodies. For such a situation, there was no better defense than the classic Hakke Shou Kaiten. All of the attack was sent hurtling away into the wreckage, human and projectile alike. Neji could hear bones snap inside some of them as they smashed into the stone, and cries of pain from others as shuriken flew wildly and struck them in various parts of their likewise flailing bodies.

The enemies—those that could pick themselves up—withdrew and regrouped.

The Rock leader looked on gravely. "It seems that you are everything we have heard about and more, Hyuuga Neji... a genius."

"What are you doing, idiots?" Yelled the Sound leader at his men. "Go after her!" His men hastily scrambled to the top of the crater wall, some tripping over their comrades in their disoriented effort to obey.

Neji, standing relaxed in his Jyuuken stance, looked in the face of his enemy and smiled. "It is far too early to act surprised," he said. "I have only begun to teach you the meaning of the word, 'genius.'"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Haruno Sakura ran so hard that her feet were bruising. The enemy was everywhere, and she was only one shinobi against these masses; if any of them intercepted her, forcing her to stand and fight, more would come within moments, and that would be the end of her. She needed to find allies quickly if she wanted to survive long.

Though she did a good job of staying disengaged from combat and evading sneak attacks, there was one enemy that she could not shake off: anxiety. Sakura had seen the headbands of the enemy. She was surprised to see Rock shinobi among them, but the majority of the intruders that she had seen were of the Hidden Village of Sound. Orochimaru's men. Sasuke's new comrades—or tools, to be more accurate. The Uchiha Avenger had rejected comrades. Sakura and her comrades agreed that there was every possibility that he was among them, and the thought made her insides squirm.

_I have to find Kakashi-sensei,_ she thought, _and Naruto, if I can. Then we can go looking for him. If he is out there, we need to convince him—or, if we have to, subdue him—before he does something horrible. We need to get to him first so that he isn't killed..._

Sakura found herself imagining stumbling upon the corpse of her former teammate. She'd seen an illusion of him half-dead before, and she had once believed him to be dead by the hands of a true enemy. She had no desire to repeat either experience, and the longer she took, the more likely a repetition became. Sakura increased her speed, growing closer to the Hokage tower my the second...

She nearly fell into a crater, so concentrated she was on her running. Sakura managed to skid to a stop just at its edge. However, her sudden appearance there was not unnoticed by the group of enemy shinobi below, who were busy setting up a field command center. They looked up at her with contempt in their evil eyes.

"Just a small one," said their leader, a tall Sound Jounin. "You four, go and deal with her. The rest of you, turn to. Get those fortifications up on the double."

The four that he indicated obeyed readily, leaping high to reach her. Sakura took a step back, cocked back her right arm, and drove it hard into the ground as the enemies landed. The impact splintered the already-cracked ground under her and caused a small quake. One of the enemies, who had landed close to the edge, lost his balance and fell back into the crater. The rest fought to keep their feet as she rushed them, kunai in hand.

Her target evaded the blade, but he was not quick enough to stop her other hand from darting inside and severing a tendon in his left arm. Yowling in hurt anger, he tried to counterattack, but his one-armed retaliation was easily evaded.

"Amusing," chuckled the largest man. He moved quickly for his size, anticipating Sakura's movements and seizing her from behind. A kunai was at her throat in seconds.

"Little medic girl playing tough," he chided, "We'll beat that out of..."

The big man didn't finish his sentence. His neck was broken before he even knew that he had been attacked. His comrades could not move to help; they suddenly found themselves bound held in place by an unexpectedly strong-jawed pack of dogs.

Sakura stepped out of her captor's grip. "Kakashi-sensei!" she exclaimed.

"I'm glad I found you, Sakura," said the masked Jounin. "It's going to make my work much faster."

The Sharingan eye whirled round and round. Fixated by it, the two remaining enemies fell easy prey to its hypnotic offensive. They slumped to the ground, and the dogs released them.

"Tsunade-sama's ordered me to find and eliminate as many enemy field leaders as I can find," said Kakashi. "Having a medic along will definitely be handy. Especially considering the type of leader I might eventually find..."

Sakura's face took on a look that Kakashi knew well.

"Now's not the time to be thinking about that," he warned. "I don't think Orochimaru would risk his prized container on the front lines. If we do find him, that's one less thing to worry about. But I doubt that we will."

"Hey, you guys!" called an annoyed voice from the crater, "Haven't you finished up there yet? Come down here and finish this work!"

Kakashi and his old subordinate exchanged glances. "I know it's tough," he said, "But other jobs have to take priority over finding Sasuke. The civilians have to be evacuated. Field commanders have to be taken out as early as possible, to disorient the enemy and slow the destruction. If we let our personal desires get in the way of saving the village, we might as well be killing our comrades ourselves..."

Sakura was pained, but she already knew that he was right. "And shinobi who abandon their comrades are lower than garbage... right?"

Beneath his mask, Kakashi's pride for his old student was evident. "Exactly. Now, shall we go take out the garbage down there?"

"Hai!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The house shook violently with the nearby explosion. Haruka was awake instantly, and on her feet in less than a second. Then she was on her backside as the blind man below her tried to roll out of his bedding and crashed into her legs.

"Blind idiot!" she cursed, giving him a groggy kick.

"Ite! That's a rude awakening if I ever had one... hey!" He jumped aside as she tried to kick him again.

"Be quiet," Haruka said. "I'm trying to hear..."

"You can hear them over me all too easily, so stop kicking me. Those are explosions."

"And yelling," Haruka added. She stood up, flipping her dark braid over her shoulder and cocking her ear to the world beyond the walls. "Not good. Konoha's under attack!"

"You're sure it's not one of Naruto's pranks? I remember the time that firecracker singed your hair off when you were sleeping..."

"No, it's definitely an attack. Listen, you can hear orders being shouted outside. Orders from both our people and another side." She walked to the end of the room, opened the doors that opened to the night. "And I can see flames!" she exclaimed. "This is a large-scale raid."

"What?" Keisuke asked in alarm. "What's burning?"

"Right now? Not much," Haruka said. "But judging from all the noise and shouting..."

"There might be a whole lot more burning fairly soon," Keisuke finished. "We're needed..."

"Correction," Haruka interjected. "_I'm_ needed. What good are you in your current state? Your feelers aren't even near done regrowing. Sorry, partner, but I'm not letting you come with me."

"I'll be good enough," Keisuke said. He fumbled for his vest and sunglasses.

"If you had thought ahead and realized this might happen, you would have avoided using the Sanjuuni Reiude, idiot." The Hyuuga woman's tone was teasing in its normal rivalry fashion, but Keisuke heard strain in it. "You'd just be dragging me down like this."

Keisuke wasn't playing or teasing at all. "No, I'm going," he said. "I didn't spend weeks trying to help change the Hyuuga only to have these enemies—the enemies that it was originally _my _mission to find—come and destroy them. I saw the map they had, Haruka. The Hyuuga complex was circled in red. I must protect..."

The blind man was stopped by a hand that his stubby feelers didn't see coming, the finger of which came to rest upon his lips.

"Not another word," said Haruka. Her voice was low and gentle as it had never been before in his presence. Keisuke found that he could not oppose it. "I know you want to keep your lost children safe, now that they've been pacified. But you're weak right now, and I can help them better than you can. Please, Keisuke, hide here and let me go instead. I promise I won't let them be exterminated."

Her hand removed itself from his face. He stood silent, unable to comment. Haruka took his silence as permission to go, and moved for the door, grabbing her equipment on the way. Just before she left, she turned to look upon him a final time.

"You'd better hide yourself well, you big blind dolt," she said. Her tone was back to the jubilant and playful one that he was used to. "If I come back here and you're dead, I'll be really mad at you for taking away my favorite door mat. Now, I've got things to kill."

Keisuke came out of the spell. "Undoubtedly," he said. "Don't have too much fun, though, Sadist. Leave one for me to talk to later."

"I won't promise anything, but I'll try," she said. Keisuke felt, more than saw, her demonic smile. "Later."

She was gone.

Keisuke stood a moment in the center of the room. He listened to the noise of battle outside, and wondered which ringing clash was the kunai of someone he knew. Clenching his fists, he raged within himself for being unable to join them.

Yet, when he remembered the feel of that hand on his face, the melodious sound of the gentle, pleading voice, his anger diminished quickly and then went out. It was replaced first by bitter resignation to hide himself as he'd been told, and then, as he moved about to find a suitable place, by confusion.

"Why do I not fight her?" he asked himself. "My will is at least as strong as hers. I know that she is likely to meet her death before she gets to the Hyuuga. Having me along, even in my weakened stated, would increase her chances. So why do I do as she asks?"

The questions grew and multiplied, swimming in his brain, spreading in his blood like a cancer. Yet for all of these plaguing questions, he could produce only one answer, and it was the last answer in all the world that he would be willing to accept. The word was there constantly in the back of his head and on the tip of his tongue, but he would neither think nor speak it. The stress of it piled up on him until he felt he would be forced to club himself over the head.

"You'd better come back alive, Sadist," he said to the air. "I can't die without getting you back for calling me 'door mat.'"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ayame hid behind her father, terrified out of her wits. Teuchi was nearly scared stupid himself, but the presence of his daughter behind him forced him to competence. He stood erect between her and their assailants, waving a kitchen knife defensively in front of him.

_A lot of good it will do me, _he thought. _An old man like me against three ninja? I haven't got a chance._

Yet, he found the resolve to defy them still. "Stay back!" he cried weakly. "Don't come a step nearer!"

The enemy chuckled, pausing at the top of the stairs which he and his comrades had just finished climbing. "And what if we don't? Gonna make us into tomorrow's special? I don't think you have it in you, old man."

"Then why? If we're no threat to you..."

"Normally, I wouldn't," said the Rock Chuunin, "A nice old guy like you is a shameful kill, and a waste of a good cook. But orders are orders, so..." he drew a long katana and held it before him.

Teuchi's eyes went wide. "But," he protested, "Why would your master order you to kill us? Normally, food workers like us can be captured and put to good use..."

"Of course," said the enemy, "Usually. But the Sound believe that you're more useful dead for some reason. Though you're a good guy, and I wish I could tell you why you have to lose your life, I can't. Hold still now. This won't hurt if you don't struggle."

The enemy ninja's sympathy did little to ease Teuchi and Ayame's terror. The old man lowered his knife and stood resolute, waiting for the end to come with as much dignity as he could muster. The Rock Chuunin and his teammates came forward together, weapons raised, and Teuchi closed his eyes.

Then, without warning, a flash of flame streaked from the stairs and hit the ninja on the leader's left. The target's shoulder was shredded by the impact, and in seconds the flames had engulfed his entire arm and were spreading to other, more vital areas. The Rock Chuunins turned to face the threat, and the one to the leader's right turned just in time to catch a fist with his lower jaw. He fell hard and skidded across the wooden floor to stop at Teuchi's feet.

"I'm sorry for being late, old man," said the voice of their savior. "If I'd known my mission was trash, I'd have been here sooner."

"Naruto!" breathed Teuchi, opening his eyes.

The blond Leaf shinobi had the Rock Chuunin leader pinned to the wall with one hand. The enemy fought him hard, trying to gut the boy with his katana. Naruto was in control, however, and disarmed him in a moment. Once he had nothing to worry about from his opponent, he used his free hand to smash the enemy's head against the wall, rendering him unconscious.

Once the threat was completely gone, Naruto tied up the enemies and checked over the old man and his daughter, making certain that they were both alive and in good health. Having been assured several times that they were fine, he smiled widely in relief.

"That's good," he said. "If you guys got taken out, I don't know if I'd get over it. I've been eating here for so long..."

"Thank you, Naruto," Teuchi said. "You always were my best customer. Devoted enough that you saved us before anyone else."

"Heh," Naruto shrugged. "More devotion than you know, old man. Your ramen was my first true love. But I have to get going now. You guys sit tight and wait for the evac squad, okay?"

"S-sure thing!" said the old man.

"Good," said Naruto. "I'm going to see what I can do about these bastards. Ja ne."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

For the first time in her life, Hanabi was afraid. She'd never before seen real combat, having been sheltered and pampered all her years, fighting only in controlled situations. Now, she'd suddenly been thrust into a melee of thousands while her bodyguard struggled to escort her to the safe house. The compound had been taken off guard, and all of the Hyuuga present there, Branch House and Main, trained and untrained, were fighting for their lives.

It was a battle that they were losing. The Branch Captain, Hiroto, was nowhere to be found. The elite guard was lost and leaderless, trying to reach Hiashi, who was pinned down in the practice hall against scores of opponents. Though all Hyuuga who were trained in combat fought desperately to protect the civilians, they were largely ineffectual against so many skilled enemies. Hanabi stayed close to her bodyguard, constantly looking over her shoulder nervously, heart pounding in her ears, trying not to let the cries of the dying drive her mad.

Suddenly, her bodyguard keeled over dead, a kunai having been driven into his heart. His killer stood over Hanabi, the Sound Hitai-ate band glimmering crimson in the light of nearby flames. All of Hanabi's training was forgotten, and she cringed in his shadow like a frightened rabbit.

"Well, aren't you pretty, little one?" said the Sound shinobi. "I'll kill you with something equally pretty." He ran his hands through a set of seals, his eyes piercing into her with malice.

"**Katon..."**

Nobody got to learn what his 'pretty' jutsu was, because his life was taken from him before he could finish speaking its name. A Jyuuken bolt went into his back and stopped his heart.

"Hanabi!" called a gentle, yet insistent voice. A pair of hands grasped Hanabi's shoulders. The girl tore her eyes from the body of her would-be murderer and looked up into her savior's face.

"Hinata-oneesan!" she exclaimed.

"Hanabi," said the older sister, "Are you all right? Any injuries?"

"No..." Hanabi flushed crimson. After years of being treated as the superior, it was a kind of ironic embarrassment to walk into a battle and be paralyzed with fear. And to be rescued by Hinata...

"That's good," said Hinata. "I'm so glad. Where is our Father?"

"They... they told me he was still in the practice hall when they attacked. The elite guard haven't reported since—they've been trying to get to him."

Hinata paused. "If the elite guard are trying, then he should be all right. If the elite guard aren't enough, then there is little we can do to make a difference," she reasoned. "I think we need to get out of here, and call for emergency aid."

Hanabi had little to say. She was amazed at Hinata's ability to make decisions and act as a leader; these were qualities that she had never witnessed before in her older sister. This amazement, combined with the lack of a plan in her own mind, led Hanabi to follow her without question.

_Where did she find this strength?_

"Let's go," said Hinata. She began to fight her way through the deadly battlefield, her little sister in tow.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto quickly became furious as he moved through the village. Everywhere he went, there were enemies. Yet, everywhere he went, he could not pick a good fight. Oh, every now and then a Rock shinobi would turn and attack him, but these were usually grunts, not capable of anything amazing, and Naruto dispatched them fairly quickly. But the Sound shinobi would not fight him at all. Everywhere he went, they faded away from him, vanishing into the darkness.

"Damn it!" He yelled, stopping on an intact rooftop. "What the hell is going on?"

Looking out over the village, he could see that more and more areas were starting to show signs of violence and destruction. Fires sprung up everywhere, and corpses began to litter the streets in ever-increasing numbers. Leaf Chuunins scrambled to evacuate Konoha's residents. The enemy had finished setting up their command centers in the craters of the original explosions. Some of these were without commanders, but the majority of them were still operational, and replacement officers were beginning to take over for their assassinated leaders. The momentum of the assault was not yet broken.

"I've got to find someone on our side and find out what we're doing," Naruto said. "I have to find out if everyone's okay. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Hinata, Keisuke, everyone..."

Leaping from his perch, he started towards the Hokage tower. It was currently surrounded and under siege by a massive concentration of enemies, but if anyone could tell him what was going on, Tsunade could. He forgot about trying to smash faces in and focused instead upon reaching his destination. This shift in focus turned out to be a mistake, and he narrowly avoided the blast of sonic waves that came at him from below.

"Whoa!" he cried. Getting his bearings, he managed a clean landing on an unbroken section of street. His enemy landed opposite him no more than thirty feet away. He was small, dark, and heavily cloaked and masked, but Naruto knew from his forehead plate that he was from the Sound.

"It's about time," Naruto grumped. "I've been trying forever to fight one of you guys..."

"Although your lack of attentiveness suggests that you would be an easy target," said the enemy, "I was not sent here to kill you; that blast was meant to get your attention."

"Well, it worked at that," said Naruto. "What do you want, if you don't want to fight?"

"I have been ordered to guide you, Uzumaki Naruto. There is one among our number here who greatly wishes to see you, and I am to take you to him."

Naruto went stony-faced. For some reason, he wasn't having much trouble guessing at who the small, masked ninja was referring to. A rivulet of sweat ran down his face.

"Will I have time to find Sakura and Kakashi?" he asked.

"I was instructed to bring you immediately to him after I found you," said the enemy ninja. "I was also instructed to caution you that if you declined this invitation, there are a number of people right now who would die at a single word from my master—people important to you. Beginning ten minutes from now, one of them will be killed every five minutes until you arrive."

"Is that a bluff?" Naruto asked.

"Are you willing to take the chance that it is not?" asked the enemy.

A long pause occurred. All around them were the sounds of battle, but neither one of them said or did anything.

At last, Naruto found his voice.

"Lead on."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Twenty-Three OoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** After three long, arduous years, it is finally time. In the midst of havoc and chaos, two souls long parted will finally meet again. One of them is blinded to the better things in life by a lust for revenge. The other's eyes have only just been opened to a whole new plane of conflict and passion: love. With the weight of their past heavy on their shoulders, who's will is more powerful? Who is most lacking in sight?

Okay, people... You. Me. Ideas. NOW.

The upcoming battle between old rivals will be a long one, and I want it to be one of my best yet. I am open to any and all suggestions that you may have... in fact, I demand them. As soon as you read this, you are to promptly tell me what you think ought to happen. I do not care if it is a suggestion for a random tidbit of the fight, or a long and detailed, blow-by-blow outline. Just give it to me. This fight could conceivably span a couple of chapters, and there is a high probability of a lot of your ideas getting used.

Thanks a lot for your help, guys. It really does make the difference between a good story and a masterpiece.


	27. C24: Sharingan vs Reiude

**A/N: **Thank you sincerely for all the help. You may notice some of your suggestions here. I'll include a list at the end of the Naruto vs. Sasuke fight of all the readers whose ideas I used.

And now...

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Sharingan vs. Reiude**

Following his small and quiet guide, Naruto passed over, around, and occasionally through all manner of combat zones. Everywhere were convoys of evacuees under attack by the allied Rock and Sound. Less frequently, he saw groups of Konoha shinobi trying to mobilize, regroup with the main force at the tower. As before, the Sound shinobi gave him a wide berth as he passed them.

"They have been ordered explicitly not to touch you," explained his guide when asked. "The master would receive you in perfect health, Naruto-sama."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's _very_ concerned for my well-being," Naruto said. Sarcasm did not come naturally to the energetic blond, but then this massive-scale war was not his natural element. While Kyuubi might have been comfortable with this kind of widespread destruction and death, Naruto was not. His forehead prickled at the thought of the nine-tailed fox, and he gave it a slap to quell it.

"Of course he is not, Naruto-sama," said the guide. "Rather, this is the only way to measure your true capacity."

"What's the point of 'measuring' anything, since he's probably going to want to kill me anyway?" muttered the blond to himself.

The guide heard. "All in good time," he said.

They came to a field command center near the village walls. Naruto half-expected to see his enemy waiting for him in the crater, but such was not the case. Instead, he and his guide were greeted by masked and evil-faced Sound nins, all grinning terribly at him as they moved aside to let him pass.

"We will go through these tunnels," said his small-statured guide. He indicated one of four entrances and motioned for Naruto to follow him. Glad to leave the evil faces behind, the blond went with him readily.

At first, the tunnels were messy—a by-product of the massive explosion—but as they left the crater behind, they became cleaner. Naruto discovered that they were wide and spacious and would have allowed five men to walk abreast. Lanterns were spaced at intervals along the ceiling, granting light in the darkness. Carefully placed support beams kept the tunnel from collapsing while using as little material as possible. The shinobi of the Rock were indeed expert diggers.

After a few twists and turns, the guide's chosen tunnel bored through a thick barrier of stone, concrete, and metal—the village walls. Then it ran straight for some time. "We are nearly there," announced the guide.

"Hey. Where exactly are we going?" Naruto asked.

"We go to a place that has been created and specially prepared just for this occasion," came the reply. "It is large, secluded, moderately lit, and well-ventilated. It should suit the needs of yourself and the master adequately."

They continued in silence the rest of the journey, which was quite short. After only two more minutes of walking, they came to a corner. The guide stopped walking and turned around to look at Naruto, addressing him as politely as before.

"This is as far as I will take you, Naruto-sama," he said. "Beyond this corner and fifty paces on there will be a stone door. It will open readily to your touch. Within you will find the chamber that I described, where the master awaits you."

Naruto nodded once and grunted to express his understanding. The guide, his job done, bowed and disappeared from view. Not wasting any time, Uzumaki Naruto went forth.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Oneesan, where are we going?"

Hinata did not look back at her younger sister, but kept her attention focused in front, behind, and all around her, on the alert for potential threats. "We are going to the house of the Aburame Clan," she said. "They are formidable, and were probably more prepared to face this attack than we were. We will help them repel the last of their attackers, and then ask them to help our clan."

"Aburame Clan..." Hanabi pondered. "Wasn't one of your teammates an Aburame?"

Hinata smiled, pleased that her little sister had at least taken some kind of interest in her life. "Yes. It's with Shino-kun's help that I hope to persuade them to aid us."

The two of them did not have to go far. Within three minutes, Hinata could hear the familiar buzzing noise, and along with it came a welcome, if unexpected, bark. With her peripheral vision, Hinata caught sight of a battle below; her two teammates, Kiba and Shino, rode on the back of the great dog Akamaru, Shino wielding his bugs against the tide of their foes, and Kiba wrestling to remove the enemies that tried to jump on or unseat them. This skirmish was going favorably for the two, though both of them looked rather worse for wear. It occurred to Hinata that they must have been riding and fighting through several more skirmishes.

As he tossed the last one to the ground, where Akamaru tore into him with his sharp canines, Kiba caught sight of them. "Hinata! Finally! We've been looking for you since this damned bloodbath started."

"I'm sorry I didn't come to find you right away," Hinata said, leaping down to them. "I was worried for my people..."

"Quite understandable," said Shino. "I did the same as you. Kiba happened to be nearby, so he did not have to look so far to find me."

"Not a problem," Kiba said. "But hey, who's the shrimp there?"

Hanabi started, obviously offended. She opened her mouth for an angry retort, but Hinata prevented her, clapping a hand on her shoulder and pinching her.

"She is Hanabi, my younger sister," she said hastily. "Shino-kun, how well is your clan defending itself?"

"We are holding our own quite well," replied the hooded bug user. "However, the appearance of the Rock was quite unexpected. They have brought with them a group of shinobi that are highly motivated to wipe us out..."

"You remember them, Hinata," interrupted Kiba. "Our old freinds..."

"The Kamizuru Clan of the Hidden Rock," finished Shino. "Both sides are sustaining casualties. I have been sent to find you in the hopes that, considering your successful experience against their techniques, you might reduce our losses."

Hinata nodded. She remembered quite well. "I will help. If you will guard Hanabi for me, I should be able to stop some of them. But let's hurry; my Clan is in grave danger itself, and we will need your assistance when we are done here."

Kiba and Hanabi eyed one another venomously, neither one enjoying the prospect of this new guard arrangement. Shino, however, nodded.

"Understood," he said. "Let's go. I will take you to the place where the combat is thickest..."

The five of them headed post-haste for the Aburame hive cluster.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The battle at the Hyuuga compound had become a massacre. The dead were strewn about everywhere, and more joined them with each passing moment. Those Hyuuga who had been able to hide or flee had done so, and all of them, both Branch family and Main, shook with the fear of doom that pervaded the entire property. If the defenders above failed, it would be only a matter of time before the enemy fished them out.

Fortunately, the defense had not yet entirely crumbled, but it was sorely disadvantaged. They were disorganized, with Hiroto missing and Hiashi still trapped in his practice hall. The elite guard knew that their master was still alive because the ring of enemies that encircled the hall had not yet dispersed. Yet they could do nothing to penetrate that barrier, and those who tried were quickly killed. Beyond this central conflict raged scattered conflicts between groups of Hyuuga and Sound and Rock. The Hyuuga fought with desperation, and killed many, but against such great numbers many of them died as well. It seemed that in spite of all their strength, the Hyuuga were doomed to fail here.

It was at this dark hour that the one the Hyuuga least expected to come to their aid took the field.

This one appeared first upon the east wall of the compound, blazing in the eyes of the Byakugan with bright yellow-tainted blue. It found one of the skirmishes on the outer edge, the small Hyuuga group losing badly. The one entered the skirmish and quickly, with its massive tainted energy and mighty skill, conquered the enemies. In gratitude, the Hyuuga that had only moments ago faced certain death joined the one. With its new forces, the one found another hopeless battle and turned it around. The Hyuuga here likewise offered their service to the one, thankful for their lives.

In this manner, the one swept through the east quarter of the compound, gaining strength and momentum with every victory. Twenty Hyuuga followed the one into the south quarter, where they cleared out the enemy and became thirty-three. From there it charged mightily into the west and then the north, saving lives and adding those lives to its grateful ranks of followers. Once the north was clear, the company of the one was sixty-four members strong. The one ordered its forces into ranks with the one itself at the front, and marched them quickly towards the center conflict, to the ring around the practice hall, stopping just a stone's throw away.

The enemy, along with the forces of the elite guard who had been thinking of how to fight them, gawked at the concentrated force with awe. Had Captain Hiroto finally taken the field? No, they thought, seeing who stood at the fore, he had not. In his place, leading the Hyuuga of both Houses, stood one woman, her bandanna removed, the Caged Bird seal shining with bright blue and yellow. Some of them recognized the woman, and recoiled in shock. How was it that _she_ had taken command?

"Hear me now, my brethren!" she called. "Our Captain Hiroto has abandoned us. Our revered lord Hiashi-sama is trapped within that building and unable to lead us to victory. We are vastly outnumbered and many of us are at our limits."

No Hyuuga spoke in reply. The situation certainly was grave, they'd give her that.

"But I tell you, my Hyuuga brothers and sisters, we are not defeated, nor are we alone! Hiashi-sama still lives, or these cretins would long ago have left this place. He can be freed, and his power can save us. It will be difficult, yes; our numbers are far reduced, as I said. But under one command, together, we can wield our collective might as a hammer and smash our lord's prison wide open!"

A few of the Sound who were watching laughed at her. The Hyuuga grimaced; they were right to laugh, for even together the Hyuuga numbered less than a fifth of the enemy. What good would it do to just pummel them? Nothing, that's what, were the thoughts of a great many. It would just be a suicide mission.

"It can be done," continued the one, "I know because of two things. One, I know that the Hyuuga are the strongest in Konoha. For every one of us, there must be three of them to match us. If you cannot believe that, my brethren, then you have no pride in yourselves, and you are lost."

This had a rousing effect on many of the Hyuuga there. It was true, they thought, that they were not reputed as the strongest in their village for no reason. And did this woman not save our skins not too long ago? She believed in her power, and look at what she has done now.

"Furthermore," she said, "I have heard the will our Great Father, returned from the Grave for the betterment of all of us. As any father would for his children, he has missed us all sorely. To see us die now would grieve him beyond any measure we can conceive, for he is more ancient than the oldest of us by centuries, and in his long life his heart has developed a wide and black void that only we may fill.

"So hear this and take heart, Hyuuga! The Great Father pleads with us to live, and I intend to do so, for in my veins is the proud and noble blood of our Clan. We all share that blood, so if you have any pride left in you, bring it to the surface! Let us rise like the phoenix from the ashes of this catastrophe, and show our Father that his children are alive and strong!"

Silence.

Then, in the ranks of the one's company, a lone voice cheered itself hoarse, singing out his pride in his blood for all he was worth. The cheer was picked up by another voice, and then another, until the whole of the formation was yelling. Finally, when it was so loud that it reverberated all the way to the top of the Hokage tower, it infected the elite guard in their hiding places and grew louder still. The guards leaped out into the open, dodging kunai, shuriken, and jutsus to join the ranks of the one.

On that night, Hyuuga Haruka, the infamous "Kin-abandoner," died and was forgotten. Hyuuga Haruka, the "Kin-redeemer," was born, and the children of the surviving Hyuuga would speak of her exploits for generations.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The door ground heavily shut of its own accord, sealing Naruto into the chamber. The room was as the guide had described it, but there were certain details that had been left out in the description. While it was indeed large and spacey, it was not entirely uncluttered; stalagmites and stalactites had been allowed to remain here and there, particularly around the edges of the cavern, and Naruto could see that some of these had had weapon racks carved into them. These held all manner of weapons; swords, tonfa, short, deadly sais, long, curved katanas, chains and flails, heavy maces, mantis-arm sickles, and spears of the type used by royal guards in palaces. Naruto saw that there were holes bored into the walls and ceiling, presumably the ventilation system that the guide had mentioned, but there was also a large hole in the ceiling from which a miniature waterfall tumbled. The water rushed through a path that had been artificially dredged for it and flowed into another hole in the floor which led out of the cave. And finally, there were torches and lanterns spaced at intervals along the walls, but they were placed to allow the generation of shadows as well as to light the room. And from those shadows came...

"Sasuke," Naruto said.

"I'm glad you could make it, Naruto," replied the Uchiha avenger. He stood opposite the cave from his former blond teammate, his face dispassionate and his posture relaxed. He was clad in a white robe worn loosely around his torso and dark pants, tied off at the waist by a large coil of rope. A sword glistened in the light of the lamps, clasped relaxedly in the tall young man's right hand. And in his eyes were the red coloring and the swirling teardrops of the Sharingan.

"You bastard," growled Naruto, "You've got a lot of guts coming here and pulling this stunt. D'you really think we're so weak, that we'd just roll over and die? Any minute now, Tsunade baa-chan is gonna finish evacuating, and then you and your Rockheaded new friends will go down like straw men."

"Of course, I know that the Sound is going to lose," replied Sasuke nonchalantly, "And faster than you think; the Sand are on their way to save Konoha as we speak. They saw their neighbors the Rock moving and knew something was up, so they mobilized as well. By morning, all of the invasion force will be dead or captured."

Naruto was struck dumb. "What? You mean... you didn't come here to win?"

"Of course not. Konoha has more than tripled its strength in the last three years, and Suna has also improved. Together, that alliance is all but unbeatable. No, Orochimaru only sent the Sound here to weaken the Leaf's forces and kill off a few important leaders, to make everything ready for the real assault that will come after."

"So that's why the snake bastard isn't here personally," Naruto thought aloud. "He's already putting together _another_ attack! What's he going to do this time, drop from the sky with Cloud ninjas?"

"Actually, he was planning to use the Mist shinobi next, but that's only part of the reason he stayed behind. You see, his borrowed body becomes very weak and sick when its previous owner doesn't agree with him. It's almost time for a new one, and until then he will have to remain safely locked away."

"A new body... so, you're still planning to give yourself to that bastard, huh?"

Sasuke's face hardened. "I told you before," he said, "I don't care about that. I don't give a damn about good and evil, or right and wrong. I am an avenger, and what matters to me is power. If by sacrificing my soul I gain more power, then so be it, and to hell with anyone who would stop me."

Naruto opened his mouth to yell at him, but Sasuke pressed on. "Even coming here was another way to gain and measure power. In particular, yours," he said. He eyed Naruto with the Sharingan, and the blond felt his whole body break out in goosebumps.

"What do you mean?"

"Two years ago, when Kabuto brought back the story of the Rokujuuyon Reiude, Orochimaru was very interested. He'd dug your friend Keisuke out of the earth himself, and the blind man didn't have that power then. Through his agents, Orochimaru learned that he obtained that power after visiting Konoha... and after being infused with your blood."

Naruto shivered. Keisuke hadn't told him that he'd been captured by Orochimaru. It occurred to the blond that the memory was probably too horrible to talk about, and sympathy for his blind friend washed through him.

"Orochimaru is like me; he is always on the lookout for new powers that he can seize and master. If this Reiude can be obtained merely by a blood transfusion, then it would be worthwhile to collect a specimen and try it out... wouldn't you think so, Naruto?"

"So, that's what it is," Naruto finished. "You're here for me. You want my power. But, you know, I'm not going to just give it to you."

Sasuke smiled for the first time since the meeting began. "Of course. Which gives me the perfect excuse to fight you, and measure the extent of my power against yours. I'll defeat you here, and I'll know I'm on the right path. I'll know I'm getting stronger."

"Like hell you'll beat me!" yelled Naruto. "While I'm alive, you and that bastard Orochimaru will never win."

"Now, that would just be a waste," Sasuke said. "But even so, I guess it wouldn't be a total loss if I had to kill you. The Mangekyou Sharingan..."

"That's not going to happen, because I'm going to rip your arms off first! And when I drag you through the streets, and see everyone looking at you with cold eyes, and see Sakura and Kakashi looking at you with pity, you'll see once and for all the mistake you made."

"The only mistake I ever made was not going to Orochimaru sooner," said Sasuke. "But if you want to prove me wrong, you're welcome to try and fail. The weapons on the racks are for you; I have my own. If you feel the need to use Suiton jutsu, there is water here, just for you... I won't need it. I've given you everything you could possibly need in this room. All there is left to do is..."

"SASUKE! I don't need a handicap! **Doton: Doryuudan!**" (Earth Style: Earth Dragon Missile)

A dragon's head of stone rumbled to the surface of the cave and spewed forth a rock slide that could crush five acres of forest. Sasuke's sword whirled in a defensive arc, slicing through it like butter and illuminating the room with sparks.

"...Fight." he finished.

Naruto, meanwhile, did not wait to see if his jutsu had worked. He had already generated twenty bunshins and was positioning to attack from all sides. Some of them grabbed weapons from the racks in spite of Naruto's bravado (their excuse being that the "I don't need a handicap" only applied to the original and that it was perfectly okay to protect themselves with whatever was handy—and they really, _really_ wanted to thrash Sasuke).

Four Narutos—two bare-handed, one wielding a sword, the other brandishing tonfa—came straight for him, while one came at him from either side with vicious-looking barbed spears and two more bounced off the back wall to hack at his back with sickles and sais. Sasuke was more than ready, and cut straight through the other sword and the tonfa as though cutting air. Their wielders, along with one of the bare-handed ones, were also cut through and puffed away immediately. At the same instant, the sickle- and sai-wielding clones behind him struck, only to meet their ends in agony after being struck by a flash of unexpected lightning. Their weapons fell noisily to the ground as the two spear-wielders, one aiming high and the other low, arrived less than a second later. Sasuke hoisted himself into the air and the space between the two weapons, spun to his right, and dispatched one clone with a quick slice. The other clone fell to the same electric shock that had killed his fellows.

The remaining unarmed Naruto flipped backwards, evading the sword, and drew kunai. The other Narutos, who had not attacked yet, did the same. Together, they flung their weapons at the Uchiha dead-on.

"Is that all?" Sasuke asked. He raised his sword in preparation to deflect them.

"Hell no!" called Naruto and his bunshins. "Let's see you block this! **Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

"Interesting," Sasuke said, watching the kunai multiply, "You haven't been dawdling for three years. But it's still..."

He danced among the hailstorm of kunai, cutting only what he needed to evade getting pierced. His speed and timing were impeccable, and he was aided by the Sharingan eyes. When it was over, not a single one had touched him, and he stood smiling confidently at his opponents.

"Not enough!" Gripping his sword defensively, Sasuke formed his seals using his free hand. **"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" **(Fire Style: Mythical Fire Flower Technique)

He sprayed balls of fire at the bunshins who hung from the ceiling. A few of them escaped, but most were burned to a crisp. Still, it gave the Narutos on the ground time to mount another offensive. Two of them grabbed swords from the racks and charge in directly. The third one remained behind, running his hands through seals and calling forth Suiton: Suiryuudan while the two that escaped the flames above hurled more kunai. One of them tried multiplying them again, while the other tied explosive tags to his before throwing. Faced with so many threats, Naruto knew that it would be difficult for most ninja to escape some kind of hurt.

It did not work as intended. Sasuke grabbed one of the advancing swordsmen by the collar, whirled around once, and threw him into his comrade, launching them both into the path of the flying kunai. Sasuke threw his own kunai, altering the path of the explosive ones by knocking into them. This made them fly just behind the incoming blast of water. At this point, all Sasuke needed to do was to leap a short distance out of the path of the multiple kunai and let the water muffle the blast of the explosives. In anger, the remaining two bunshins charged, only to be instantly destroyed by blade and lightning.

"What the hell?" said Naruto, observing the lightning. "What is that jutsu?"

"It's an improvement to the Chidori," Sasuke said. "I can make it flow from anywhere in my body, and even through my sword, if I wish it to. Not that I need to; the sword cannot be parried by any solid matter in the world."

"Damn it," Naruto cursed. "You've learned a new trick and you've got a new toy, but I'm not stopping because of that."

"Of course not. It would be boring otherwise," Sasuke said. "But you can't beat me like this. My training and my Sharingan surpass you. If you want to keep up, then show me the power that you've been holding back. Show me the Rokujuuyon Reiude."

From the other side of the cave, Naruto panted, then smiled. "All right," he said. "I guess I've warmed up enough. Get ready, Sasuke... you're in for a real treat."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Damn it..." Keisuke grumbled. He'd just stumbled over a piece of furniture for the fourth time that night. Despite his Ghostly Arms having partially regrown, they only extended for five feet around him. What was more, these stubs of feelers were thinner than they're full-grown counterparts, and nowhere near as sensitive. Therefore, although Keisuke was not totally blind, he certainly was very clumsy. Searching for a place to hide was somewhat problematic.

"Uhh," he groaned, picking himself up. "You know, I can understand that she was in a hurry. But, it still would have been nice of her to help hide me first rather than leave me to my own devices."

He sighed, sliding to the floor to rest a little.

"Geez, I keep forgetting what it's like to really be blind. I need to practice without the Ghostly Arms when this is all over, or I might find myself down a manhole one of these days."

"For the time being, however," said a calm voice, "I think it would be best to allow others to assist you, Great Father."

Keisuke drew back from the voice. "Who are you?"

"Fear not, sir," he replied. "I have been sent from the Hyuuga to aid you to a more secure location, where you're less likely to be found by the enemy tripped up in your carpet. See, I have the Byakugan. Do you feel it? Haruka said that you were practiced at reading auras even without your feelers."

This was true, though it had been a long time since Keisuke had needed to do it. However, the old knowledge came back to him quickly enough, and soon he was able to confirm that his visitor was, indeed, a Hyuuga.

"Ah, you're right," Keisuke said. "Haruka sent you, did she?"

"Yes," replied the man. "She asked me to make sure that you were well, and to 'tell the blind idiot that his Sadist has been successful.'"

Keisuke nodded. "That sounds like Haruka, all right. Help me up, Hyuuga-san."

"Of course."

The man helped Keisuke to rise and walk out of the house. As they approached the gates, he released the blind man's shoulder for a moment to open them.

Keisuke thanked his rescuer. "I appreciate your help, Hyuuga-san. Considering the noise I was making, Haruka was probably right... I would have been found before long. By the way, what is your..."

He did not get to finish his question. A quick Hakke jab into his central nervous system took consciousness away, plunging him into darkness.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

The four clones rushed Sasuke under cover of smoke bombs. There was little wisdom in this, for the Sharingan caught their movements perfectly even through the smoke, and he defeated them in seconds. The avenger knew that it must be a distraction, and he was right; shortly after the last clone fell, Sasuke saw a large power headed his way at ramming speed. Raising his sword, he prepared to cut through whatever it was that was coming...

Only to have his slicing blow, for the first time in the sword's history, be successfully parried. He had no time to be shocked, however, for the thing that had done the parrying broke off and made a sweeping strike of its own. As the smoke cleared, Sasuke was glad that he'd gone to the trouble to finish his swordsman training despite having an unblockable weapon, for the object was revealed to be another sword. Making a parry of his own, he searched with his superior eyes for the source of the weapon's power, and found it.

"Chakra," he said, as he and Naruto stood with their swords locked. "You've wrapped the blade in chakra. But even then, my sword should still be able to..."

"Yeah, it was kind of a gamble," Naruto said, "But I guess it worked. I didn't just wrap it in chakra; I lined the whole thing with one of my Ghostly arms and pumped in all the chakra I could spare."

Sasuke glared. "What happened to not needing a handicap?"

Naruto grinned. "Well, I don't need it, but time could be running out. If I want to beat you in time to watch the victory fireworks, then I'd better use what I can. Besides... it would be rude to refuse a gift that you took all that time to prepare, wouldn't it?"

"Sure," said Sasuke, "If you suddenly decided to become the type who cares about manners."

Their blades broke apart and flashed as they were brought together again repeatedly. Naruto had trained with several weapons on his long voyage, and was moderately proficient in several, including the short, straight blade that he wielded now. Sasuke, however, had been training in this one weapon for over two and a half years, and by this time was an expert. On top of that, he had the Sharingan to help him anticipate movement. It was not long before he was able to knock aside Naruto's sword and stab at his unprotected throat.

He was unsurprised to see that Naruto had yet more tricks up his sleeves. Seemingly from nowhere, a long, thick appendage materialized in front of Naruto and caught the blade. The thick mass of chakra stopped it utterly, and it was only with a mighty wrench that put him in danger of getting his arm sliced off that Sasuke got it free.

"Well," he said, observing the nine 'tails' that had formed, "This is one thing I didn't foresee. So you can do it without the monster chakra now, and you can make nine instead of just one. I wonder how long they can cover for your poor swordsmanship? Five minutes? Ten?"

"As long as it takes!" Naruto said. He brought his sword up and jabbed sharply at Sasuke's sternum.

Sasuke was ready. Sidestepping the jab, he whirled and swept his blade to the side, aiming to cut Naruto's legs out from under him. This, too, met with a deft block from one of the tails. This time, Sasuke was clever enough to pull it away before the tail could grasp at it, and was instantly back at Naruto's throat with several more strikes aimed at his upper body. Naruto's tails blocked them all, leaving the blond boy free to attack with his sword in the interim. Moving with speed and skill, Sasuke dodged the first downward swing, swung at Naruto's sword arm, was blocked by a tail, then quickly moved to swat away an upward thrust from the opposing blade, bringing them back into sword-locked stalemate.

At least, it would have been a stalemate if not for the Reiude. Naruto's tails snaked in, looking for a chance to grab hold of the enemy sword and move it out of the way. Not wanting to be put in that risky situation again, Sasuke dropped and, while keeping one hand on his sword, tried a foot-sweep at Naruto's legs. The tails nearest Naruto's feet were caught up in trying to disarm him, and the others were not fast enough to prevent him. Naruto was forced to leap away from the kick, taking his sword and his tails with him.

This afforded Sasuke some room, and he took advantage of it. **"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" **(Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique)

The fireball spewed forth, and Naruto, who was currently off of his feet, could do nothing to evade it. He put his tails in front of him to block it out. It worked, but this blew him backwards, increasing his time in the air, and left his back side open to attack. Sasuke moved with unseen speed and was behind him in less than a second, his sword ready to catch the falling Naruto on its blade.

Naruto, however, would have none of that. Looking over his shoulder, he locked one of the Arms of the Reiude onto that sword, and ran his hands through the appropriate seals. _That Akatsuki bastard said wind was my strong point,_ he thought. _Let's hope it's strong enough._

"**Reiude Ninpou: Raifu Daigeki!"**

The lightning-fast blast of air didn't cause Sasuke to lose his grip on the sword as he'd hoped, but it did knock Sasuke off his feet and send him flying towards a particularly pointy stalactite. With practiced ease, Sasuke righted himself and caught the rock formation with his feet, but he was disoriented now, and his ploy was foiled.

Naruto took the opportunity to charge, and Sasuke's instinct was the only thing that kept Naruto's blade from cutting off his arm. As he fought to get his bearings and parry, he barely heard Naruto yelling at him.

"You're not the only one who's improved on old techniques, either. Your Chidori can come from anywhere... but so can my Rasengan!"

Sasuke didn't have time to wonder what his old teammate meant, because he was too busy parrying the wild swings of the sword. What was more, Naruto's tails were swiping at him now, too, and it was only through the Sharingan that he was able to see and parry the multiple blows in time. Naruto had let offense become his defense, striking from so many angles and with so many weapons with enough speed to force Sasuke to do nothing but parry.

The avenger was furious. This Reiude, as it was used by Naruto, was far more powerful than he had first thought it would be. It fully tested the anticipatory power of his Sharingan, and made the greatest speed and skill necessary. Angrily, he readied his Chidori Nagashi (1000 birds current) for a full-on counter-strike, hoping that his electric chakra would not be stopped by the tails.

Yet, before he could set his feet and begin his assault, Sasuke was set back by the coming of an attack far more dangerous than the swipe of a sword or tail. A compact ball of swirling chakra entered the Sharingan's peripheral vision, and he was forced to stop what he was doing and block it. His Chidori-charged blade caught the Rasengan, dissipated it in a flash of brilliant light and a loud _crack._ Then he had to worry about the sword and the tails again, for both were reaching for him. It was not long, however, before a second Rasengan was on its way, and he had to stop that, too.

Soon, two at once came at him, and Sasuke had to try to leap away. However, one of Naruto's tails caught his leg, and he could not move. The Uchiha was able to parry one with his lightning-tainted sword, but the second one caught him in the side, and he was sent hurtling into the man-made river.

Pain of an unspeakable caliber ran through him from the wound, and he gasped. Naruto remained where he stood.

"Tomoshibi no Kyuubi doesn't use all of my sixty-four Arms," said the blond. "If I can keep you busy, then I can use the rest of the Reiude to create other problems for you—namely, the Rasengan—and throw them at you from any angle I want. And while your Sharingan can see it coming, your hands are tied with other things... you can't stop it no matter how hard you try. Give up, Sasuke."

The damage to Sasuke's side was incredible, and the pain matched the destruction. Yet, the avenger was not one to be taken down by just one hit. And like Naruto, he had not exhausted his pool of tricks. Ignoring the plea to surrender, Sasuke rose painfully to his feet and ran a finger across his wound, collecting the blood there. He pressed the blood into his palm, then ran his hands through the set of seals. At the end of the set, he smiled, and brought his palm to the stone floor.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"That was the last one," said Kakashi as he dusted himself off. They stood in the wreckage of the final field command center.

"So, what should we do now, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura.

"The civilians will finish evacuating shortly," put in Tenten. She and her teammate, Rock Lee, had joined Sakura and Kakashi after failing to find their teammate, Neji. Their former instructor, Gai, was with the Hokage, being marshaled for the final counterattack along with the other Chuunin and Jounin in the village that were there.

"So, we don't have much to do until the counter-strike starts," Sakura said.

"Hmmm," Kakashi mused. "Well, we're pretty far from the tower. We won't be able to join with the main group right away..."

"Kakashi-sensei," asked Lee, "If I may, I have a suggestion."

Kakashi eyed the young green-clad Chuunin suspiciously. Like his mentor, Gai, he was known to spend his free time in unorthodox ways, even during missions. Still, he didn't have any ideas. "Go ahead, Lee."

"Hai!" replied Lee energetically. "I was going to say that before joining you, Kakashi-sensei, I spotted Naruto-kun traveling by rooftop in this direction. I would have called out to him, but I was engaged in a glorious and youthful battle with one of the excellent Rock Jounin, so I did not have the time."

"You saw Naruto?" asked Sakura.

"Yes, Sakura-san!" replied Lee. "He was following one of the Sound shinobi. Other Sound shinobi were fleeing in his wake. Though they might have been fleeing Naruto-kun's great youthful power, I am lead to believe, judging from their expressions, that they were following an order not to engage him."

"Oh?" said Kakashi. "That's interesting... You said he was going in this direction?"

"Hai! I am sure that he was."

One of the defeated Sound shinobi—the one that Kakashi happened to be standing on as if on solid ground—began to chuckle through a mouthful of loose teeth and blood.

"Hey now, what's so funny?" asked Kakashi.

The man continued laughing until Kakashi dug his foot into his broken ribs. Then he said, still smiling, "That kid is going to die. Took him to the young devil, they did..."

Sakura walked forward and stood over him as he paused to cough blood. Looking at him menacingly with Kunai in hand, she asked, "Where?"

The man only gave another weak laugh.

"Where?" Sakura asked, gripping the man by his broken collarbone.

But the man had already died.

"Sakura, that's enough," said Kakashi. "I think I know where Naruto went. Everyone, listen up! We're going to split up the group. Each one of us will take one of these four tunnels here..." he waved around the crater at them, "...and go looking for Naruto. If you find him and he's alone, bring him back here, no matter what it takes. If you find trouble, run away and make contact by radio, then use your judgment on whether you should fight or flee. Everyone understand?"

Three voices sounded acknowledgment.

Kakashi nodded. "All right. Let's go!"

OoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Twenty-Four OoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **This is your last chance to make suggestions. The fight will heat up in the next chapter, and the bulk of it will be over at the chapter's end, if not all of it. Feel free to make more suggestions, but more important to me right now is your opinion of the story so far. Is Arc II turning out satisfactory? Does it kick ass? Does it blow? I have to know, and more importantly, I have to know why it rocks or sucks so that I can adjust it or stay the same as need dictates.

I love you guys. Not as much as I love meat and cheese and bone marrow, but still, you're awesome.


	28. C25: In the Name of Power

**A/N: **Anyone besides me keeping up on the Anime? Yeah, they're mostly fillers, but some of them are good for a laugh or two. And while we're on the subject of laughs, I wonder if any of you could refer me to a good humor fic or two. I've tried to find them myself, but what I ended up looking at was either unimaginative, full of bad jokes, or written with a horrendous amount of spelling/grammatical errors. All this drama writing leaves me desperately in the mood for a good laugh, chortle, or guffaw.

I'd like to apologize to kagehusha, whose birthday was on the 14th. I had planned to release this chapter on that evening as a gift to him, but I had scheduling conflicts with my recruiter that messed me up. With my apologies for tardiness, this is in your honor, sir.

**Chapter Twenty-Five: In the Name of Power**

Blood and chakra mixed beneath Sasuke's hand and sent forth the call. Across an unmeasured quantity of space and time, the call was heard. In answer, a loud _pop_ resounded throughout the cavern, and thick gray smoke veiled the thing that had been summoned. In the dim light, Naruto squinted to try and make out the thing's shape.

Then movement caught his eye. Sasuke had brought up his blade and was advancing on him. The sword pulsed with electricity, and the sound of one thousand birds filled the air.

_No way I'm letting him intimidate me, _Naruto thought. He came forward, concerned with his old rival more than the summoned creature. His short blade raised and his tails arched, he moved to intercept Sasuke.

Then, as the smoke cleared, he saw that the summon was actually summons; many thick snakes were slithering rapidly towards Naruto, navigating the rugged stone with no difficulty.

_Going to try and trip me up, Sasuke? My footwork is better than that. _

However, the attack was more than just snakes and the Chidori-charged sword. Naruto attempted with his blade to parry a sweeping overhead strike, only to have Sasuke's sword pass straight through his own. The strike had been illusionary. Frantically, he pulled his own blade back into a guard position, searching with eyes and feelers for the real blade, but then his left shoulder exploded in pain as Sasuke's sword bit into it.

"Aargh!" he yelled. Reflexively, he batted with a tail at the shoulder, stopping the blade from continuing all the way through his arm. Using a second and third tail to reinforce the first and straining with effort, he was finally able to heave the blade from his shoulder.

Enraged, Naruto was about to mount a massive counterattack, but his use of extra tails to rescue his arm had left him open. A foot swung into his chest and sent electric pain through his body. The blond was knocked off of his feet and skidded into a jutting spire of rock twenty yards away.

_Wha..._

Naruto tried to figure out what it was that had got him while four of the snakes caught up with him and twisted him in their grip. His arms were pinned to his sides and his legs were constricted together. Though Naruto struggled, he could not free himself.

"The two of us are more alike than we first knew, Naruto," spoke Sasuke. The Uchiha boy was walking casually towards the snake-tied Naruto, sword flickering. "We're both stubborn; neither of us will give up as long as our cause endures. In the name of power—the power to kill my brother—I refuse to surrender. Likewise, you will not surrender while there are people to protect, promises to keep. I think that each of us admired the other for his strong will, and that helped us become friends..."

Naruto wasn't hearing him. His attention was divided between getting out of this snakelock and trying to unravel the mystery of the strike that had nearly taken his arm.

_I thought he was aiming to split my head open,_ he thought, _and I blocked like I normally would... but then the sword doesn't hit. I get confused, hunker down, and then suddenly the sword's in my shoulder! What happened? If it were genjutsu, my Reiude should have picked it up..._

Sasuke was still speaking. "It's because of our strong wills that neither of us has died yet. But," he said, raising his sword for a lightning deathblow, "I will prove that my will is stronger!"

_What would Ero-Sennin do in a situation like this? _Naruto thought. A rather colorful and stylish mental image that had nothing to do with snakes or swords and everything to do with being tied up popped into his head. Naruto frowned. _That doesn't help me out! Okay... what would Keisuke do?_

Sasuke's speed increased to the point where a human's eyes couldn't follow, charging straight for his victim. But Naruto wasn't using his eyes. He had closed them, forced down his anger, and flowed his calm, concentrated energy into the Rokujuuyon Reiude. When the strike came, he felt the immense chakra coming. Without relying on his vision, he did not fall prey to the subtle hypnotic illusion caused by the Sharingan, and therefore instead of believing that the blade was coming at the left side of his head—as Sasuke wanted him to believe—he knew that it was coming for his heart.

Sasuke grinned in triumph. Naruto had apparently taken the bait, using what little mobility he had to shift slightly to his right and bringing two blue tails up to guard his head. Gripping the handle of his sword tightly, he stabbed for the beating heart of his foe...

...and missed.

Naruto had known it was coming there. He had also guessed that his old teammate would use whatever undetectable magic the Sharingan possessed to deceive his eyes into thinking a different vital spot was being targeted. The Reiude, although its sensory input was not as detailed as that of an eyeball, was much less vulnerable to trickery. With all of his attention focused in that sixth sense, Naruto had seen the true attack, faked a block with his tails towards his head, and then he had materialized another tail in front of him, quickly and lightly deflecting the stab before Sasuke had time to change its course.

Instead of hitting his heart, the sword cut into the snakes that bound his left arm. Seizing his opportunity in spite of the burning pain in his shoulder, Naruto dropped to the ground and used his now-free arm to launch himself away from Sasuke. Safely in the air, he used a kunai—his sword having been dropped when he was bound—to cut free his legs and right arm.

Sasuke did not pursue. Naruto was able to match his speed and strength, attack from so many angles as to render his Sharingan useless, and now, apparently, he could counter the subtle Sharingan illusion, the simple tricking of the eyes into seeing objects a mere few inches away from where they actually were that not even the greatest genjutsu master couldn't detect. To use an illusion of greater power would be too obvious, easily figured out by the Reiude. Though he was daunted and irritated, Sasuke resigned himself to playing defense, hoping that Naruto would leave an opening.

Naruto leaped upwards and stuck by his feet to the ceiling, where the remaining snakes—quite a number of them—could not follow. The summoned beasts took up a good third of the floor.

"Heh," he said with a grin, "That's nothing." Wiping some of the blood from his cut shoulder onto his hand, he went through his own set of seals and pressed up into the ceiling.

"**Tajyuu Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

Many tiny explosions were heard, and as many puffs of smoke became visible on the ceiling. Sasuke, who possessed the Sharingan, didn't have to wait for the smoke to clear to know that the roof of the cavern was now entirely covered with frogs the size of men. Most of them looked similar to each other, colored red-orange and wearing strange plated armor, but the two nearest Naruto, sticking to the ceiling at his left and right hands, seemed oddly distinguished, as though they were somehow regal among their fellows. One of these, colored red, turned to look at his summoner.

"Yo! Been a while, Naruto," it said.

"Hey, Gamakichi. You too, Gamatatsu."

"Hello!" cheerily replied the second frog, colored yellow.

Naruto smiled in acknowledgment of the happy—if hopelessly daft—second son of the frog boss, then indicated the enemy below. "I've brought some friends for you guys to meet," he said. "Let's all give them a really warm greeting!"

Gamakichi nodded in understanding. Gamatatsu happily raised a foreleg and waved enthusiastically at the snakes below, earning himself some hissing jeers.

Then, Naruto dropped onto the ground below, fanned his tails, and came straight for Sasuke with twin kunai enhanced by the Reiude. Sasuke gathered himself and fought, being especially watchful for incoming Rasengans.

However, Naruto was busy trying to evade the snakes at his feet. They snapped and writhed in their attempt to snare him again, and his divided attention made it difficult to accomplish what he wanted to accomplish. Eventually, however, it was done. He launched a half-hearted Rasengan at Sasuke's abdomen, knowing it would only be parried with a Chidori-enhanced blade, and leaped backward. As he landed in the small, man-made river, he whistled.

Gamakichi understood that to be the signal, and he croaked the order to his brigade. The frogs inhaled briefly, then all of them—with the exception of Gamatatsu, who was busy commenting on how big a place the cavern was—spewed forth as much frog-oil as they had been able to hold. The slick liquid coated the floor.

Sasuke, watched this, and wondered what this meant. Then his Sharingan noticed the seal that Naruto had written with detached Ghostly Arms on the ground beneath. Recognizing the pattern, Sasuke sprang towards the river where Naruto hid to try to stop him, but it was too late; Naruto brought his chakra-fed Arm sweeping across the seal, activating it.

The relatively small explosion would have been easy to avoid, but the flames spread along the floor on wings of frog-oil, engulfing the floor of the room in searing flames. The snakes writhed in agony for a few moments and then disappeared. Sasuke barely leaped up in time to escape being incinerated. Clinging to the wall with chakra at his feet and cursing his old teammate's resourcefulness, his hands shaped a surprise of his own.

"**Katon: Kainsotsu no Jutsu!" **(Fire Style: Fire Command Technique)

With his dominating will and generations of Uchiha fire mastery at his disposal, Sasuke concentrated and bent nature to his desire. The flames peeled from the ground, rising up and forming into a sphere. As more fire was collected, the sphere grew and grew until it was nearly as wide as the cavern was high, floating just a few feet away from Sasuke's outstretched hands.

The frogs, watching the spectacle from above, were discomforted.

"This isn't good," Gamakichi said. "That thing could do some serious damage, even if he's not aiming for us. Everyone! We've done what we came to do! Retreat!"

The frog brigade gladly obeyed his command. Even Gamatatsu had no desire to get better acquainted with the burning ball that shone like the sun. All of them puffed out of existence to return to their own world.

The Uchiha boy sweat profusely, both from heat and from strain; even as powerful as he was, controlling this amount of flame was approaching his limits. He had to let it go quickly, or he would waste much chakra. With a heave and a grunt, he hurled his ball of fire down upon Naruto's hiding place.

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Sakura regarded the massive door before her and was daunted. A thing of such great size and thickness had never existed anywhere in Konoha before, and even she, with all her strength, could not shove it open. Apparently, it had been made to admit only those who knew its secrets or were attuned to it. She reached for her radio, intending to contact Kakashi and ask for help.

Before she could say anything, however, a gigantic concussion boomed from behind the door, and Sakura was shaken off of her feet. She managed to get up quickly, which was fortunate, for no sooner had she gained her footing than the door, whose enormous shape had been rent with cracks in the concussion, began to crumble to dust on top of her. As she was on her feet, she escaped unharmed, though not unsurprised.

"Sakura, what was that?" Kakashi's voice said over the radio.

"Some kind of shock wave," she said. "It came from behind a huge stone door—I was going to tell you about it, but the concussion cut me off. But the door is broken now. I'm going to have a look inside."

"Be careful, Sakura," said Kakashi.

"I will. It sounds quiet on the other side, but I won't let that fool me. I'll call back soon."

She climbed over the wreckage of the door and into the room. Inside it was what she would have expected to see at ground zero of such a blast: The stone all around her was charred, and fissures were running out from the impact zone. The stalactites and stalagmites in the immediate vicinity had been atomized. Sakura could see a smooth groove running through the floor on either side of the impact zone, and saw signs of erosion within—there had been water running through there. Most likely, the explosion had evaporated it.

But most importantly, Sakura noted two things. First, there was no sign of bodies, living or dead, anywhere in the cave. Second, there was a jagged hole in the ceiling, through which the starry night sky was visible.

"Kakashi-sensei," she said into the microphone, "I'm on the right track. The two of them were definitely here. They left through an exit that they made themselves. I'm going to follow them. Catch up when you can."

"Wait, Sakura! You shouldn't go alone. Wait for us."

"No," she said. "Now that they're out of this confined space, they could go anywhere quickly. I have to stay on them, or they'll be lost."

"But..."

Sakura discarded her radio and anything else that would hinder her progress. If she was going to keep up with her teammates, she would have to travel light. Leaving herself with only her shuriken holster and a small medical pouch, she leaped up the hole in the roof.

She didn't see either one of them, but it was not hard to guess the direction they had taken; a trail of rock shards and blood pointed towards the lights of the village before it disappeared into the dark forest. Without hesitation, she started off after it. Soon after beginning the chase, Sakura lost sight of the trail of blood—evidently, the battle had been taken into the trees—but she did not remain lost long. After continuing in the same direction, she began to hear the ring of steel.

_Yes! I'm not too late,_ she thought.

Abruptly, the trees ended, and she found herself leaping into a newly formed crater. Landing in its center, she looked around for the combatants. Within seconds, she found them.

Naruto was on her left, five meters away. Sasuke was on her right, five meters away. Naruto held the Rasengan out before him in his hand, a look of panic on his face. Sasuke held out his hand, crackling with the noise of a thousand birds, regarding her with an expression of mild bewilderment.

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The Kamizuru—the bee-using clan of the Rock—cheered as the gates of the Aburame hive cluster finally gave way. They had been assaulting it relentlessly for hours, losing many lives in an effort to open the way into the heart of their enemies' stronghold. Now, the Aburame fell back in panic before them as their gates toppled to the earth, and the Kamizuru reveled in their triumph.

With as much elation as his fellows, the Kamizuru Captain ordered his subordinates to storm the hives. Men, women, and bees plunged forth after their defeated foe, ready to slaughter at leisure. It seemed that nothing could hope to stop them now. At long last, the grudge that they had upheld for the Aburame would find expression in destruciton.

Yet, one thing that they had not counted on quickly showed its face—the face of a young, pale-skinned woman with lengthy deep blue hair and white eyes. Veins were visible, popping up in their skin around the eye sockets, rendering the otherwise-beautiful face into an intimidating mask. For all the intimidation it should have had, however, the Kamizuru were undaunted. What, after all, could one girl do to hinder their assault?

Their lack of hesitation was their downfall. They hurled their bees at her, intending to deal with her quickly, only to have those bees be cut down by the droves in the fire of the girl's flashy defensive technique. This surprised the Kamizuru, but it did not stop them... it merely made them send more bees, and kunai and shuriken on top of that. This tactic of overwhelming the girl's defense might have worked...

...if she were alone. Using the young woman's deadly defensive grid as a rallying point, the Aburame mounted their counterattack. The entire hive swarmed out from behind her, engulfing the bugs that the Shugo Hakke technique did not catch and coming down in a wave against the Kamizuru lines.

Angered at this turn of events, the Kamizuru attacked with more force than ever. Yet, they could not move past the girl, whose technique proved to serve the Aburame better than their fallen gates had for protection. From beyond this absolute defense, the Aburame attacked without fear of retaliation.

No more Aburame were lost that night. The Kamizuru, unable to penetrate this new defense, lost nearly everything... again.

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The Aburame were not the only ones in Konoha to turn the tide. At the moment Hinata appeared to take charge of the defense, Konoha's citizens finished evacuating, and the Hokage gave the order to launch the final defense. From the tower, over one hundred ninja, fresh and healthy, burst forth to attack the battle-weary legions of Sound and Rock.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji were the first to take the field. Shikamaru bound with his shadow the first three enemies in their path. Wasting no time, Chouji quadrupled in size and proceeded to slam his massive fists into them one by one, Shikamaru releasing them just before impact to avoid damage to himself. One of the enemies was nimble enough to escape the incoming hamhand, but he didn't go ten yards before he was immobilized again... this time, by Ino, using her genjutsu binding technique. Unable to move, he could do nothing but scream in agony as Chouji crushed him between both immense hands.

Behind Ino-Shika-Chou came Maito Gai, flanked by Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhii Kurenai. They had been designated to fight in the same unit, and they did so with almost mystical brilliance. Gai tended to draw a lot of attention to himself, and Asuma, with his wind-enhanced chakra blades, was excellent backup against those that managed to escape the Noble Blue Beast's grasp. Between these two causing so much damage, it was not surprising that Kurenai was able to snare and pick off so many hapless foes who were ignoring her.

Wave upon wave upon wave of Konoha ninja came out of the tower, crashing down on their unready foes.

A great cheer went up in the ranks of the Leaf as they saw the Hyuuga take the field alongside them, headed by the famous Hiashi-sama and a woman whose forehead blazed with blue-yellow chakra. When asked, a Hyuuga Branch House member informed his inquisitive comrade that the woman was Captain Haruka, the leader of the Hyuuga Clan's elite guard force, and the savior of all Hyuuga. Alongside Haruka, fighting in spite of many bloody gashes and bruises, was Hyuuga Neji, Hiashi-sama's nephew. These three and their forces plowed over enemies in their path as they came to join their fellow Leaf shinobi. The strongest clan in Konohagakure no Sato had come back from the dead.

Even at this, many deaths might have been suffered on both sides, if the most powerful shinobi in the entire village had not come personally to the battlefield. Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, waded through the chaos, taking life with the application of two inhumanly strong hands, saving lives with her legendary healing abilities. Enemy after enemy was cut down before her while ally after ally got to his feet and began to fight again.

The enemy force of Rock and Sound began to suffer casualties at an abominable rate. Fearing total annihilation, their leaders ordered a swift retreat. Evil comrades shoved and clawed at each other to find room to run, and a moderate number were trampled to death before their allies remembered that they were ninja and could leap across rooftops. They made good progress in spite of this, and the hundred or so elite jounin that remained might have made it out of the gates and into the forest.

Unluckily for them, they found a whole other army of shinobi waiting for them beyond Konoha's walls. Frozen in place at the sight of so many fresh foes, the Rock and the Sound looked fearfully around them for some way that they could escape.

"There is no escape," came a soft voice from the trees. From the shadows of the forest came a singly young man, walking slowly to meet the surrounded enemy ninja. The young man's hair was blood red, and he carried a large gourd on his back. Rings of darkness encircled his eyes, which scrutinized their intended victims without pity.

Sand rushed out from the gourd, filling the air above the trapped enemy. It hovered like a death sentence while its wielder spoke.

"You have killed many of our allies tonight," said Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand. "For that, retribution will be swift and remorseless." He knelt on the ground and shoved both palms dramatically into the earth.

"**Sabaku Taiso!" **(Desert Funeral)

The sand fell like a meteor, simultaneously crushing and burying the last of the fleeing invaders. All that was left of them was a rugged imprint on the ground where the sand had fallen.

There remained a few living enemies in the village, successfully hidden away in the shadows. The Leaf and the Sand stormed together through Konoha, beginning the long and tiresome process of fishing them out.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When at last the dust settled in the Aburame's yard, Hinata and Shino sat together, gulping down water, resting after their well-earned victory. They were in no hurry to go to the Hyuuga compound; a Chuunin had given them the news of the victory there already.

"You did very well, Hinata," Shino said between gasps of air. "On behalf of all of my clansmen, I thank you."

"It was the least that I could do, for a friend and comrade," Hinata said, smiling. She took another draft of water and leaned back against the wall, relaxing after her exertion. She rarely used the Shugo Hakke technique for such an extended period of time, but it was well worth it; not a single bee had passed her, and as a result the enemy had been decimated within moments of her arrival. And still she had energy to spare. This was a sign of improvement, and Hinata took great pride in herself for it.

She and Shino sat in silence for a while, catching their breath and watching the other Aburame move around them, cleaning up the battlefield. The screams of the dying and the clang of metal weaponry had died away in the village. They knew that the attack had burned itself out, and took comfort in it.

Hinata's comfort, however, was extremely brief.

Suddenly, Shino's head perked up. "Kiba is coming," he said.

Sure enough, a panting, bleeding, worn-out Kiba dropped down in front of them, much to the alarm of his teammates and a few of the nearby bug-users. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he had a terrible slash mark across the front of his shirt through which an equally terrible wound could be seen.

He was alone.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata stood up and caught her injured teammate as he collapsed to his knees. "Kiba-kun, what happened to you?"

"Hanabi..." he croaked, then paused to cough up a gout of blood. Wiping his mouth, he strained to finish his tale. "Hanabi and I... didn't get along. She ran... cough I followed. Assassins... cough, cough I fought. Lost. They took... Hanabi..."

That was all that Kiba was able to say, for he lost consciousness in the next moment. Hinata lowered him gently to the ground, pulling a canister of medicine from a pouch at her side. After quickly administering it to the wound on his chest, she stood and addressed Shino.

"Shino-kun, did you hear all of that?"

"Yes, I did," came the sullen reply.

"They've taken my sister. I have to go find her, now. Can you come with me?"

Shino paused for a moment, his eyes upon his fallen comrade as two Aburame hefted him up using their bugs as a makeshift stretcher, hauling him off to emergency medical help.

"The hive within me has suffered many losses this night," he said. "And I myself am suffering from exhaustion and, I believe, at least one fractured rib. In my current state, I may not be very useful. However, those who did this to Kiba may not be easy for you to defeat alone, especially since you yourself are tired. For that reason, as well as to avenge Kiba, I will accompany you if you wish me to."

Hinata received his words with a sad smile. Shino might have appeared dispassionate, but he was a loyal comrade and a caring friend all the same.

"No, Shino-kun," she said kindly, "You rest. If you are too hurt to be useful, then it isn't worth risking yourself. I will go alone."

"Are you certain that is wise?" Shino asked. "You alone against multiple skilled assassins?"

"Probably not," Hinata admitted. "But, that isn't any reason to give up. We have been sadly estranged for most of our lives, but Hanabi is still my younger sister. I must protect her."

She picked up her equipment, making sure all was secure before departing. When she was certain that she was ready, she bade her comrade good-bye.

"I will avenge Kiba-kun for you, and I will save my sister. I promise you, Shino-kun. You can be sure that I will keep that promise."

She smiled one last time and was gone in the next instant.

Beneath his hood, Shino also smiled, an expression that none could see. "She is becoming more like him with each passing day," he remarked.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The collision of the two techniques resulted in the same cataclysmic explosion that it had three years in the past. Unlike in that fated incident, however, the battle did not end immediately afterward. Both combatants, as well as their unexpected guest, were sent hurtling backward off their feet.

Naruto was the first to rise, followed shortly by Sasuke. Both of them looked at the pink-haired medical ninja on the ground to Naruto's right, who was rubbing her head as she climbed shakily to her feet again.

"S-Sakura!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Sakura..." intoned Sasuke in a low voice.

Sakura regained her wits, and took a step towards them both.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun," she began, her voice steady and clear.

"If you're going to beg us to stop fighting, it's too late for that," interrupted the Uchiha.

"Sakura, stay back," warned Naruto, "He's serious. He's almost killed me twice now, and I'm pretty sure he's not going to give you any special treatment either." Looking at the blond, Sakura could tell that he wasn't kidding. There was a deep cut in his left shoulder that was bleeding freely, and his jacket had been reduced to tatters. His skin and clothing was covered in scorch marks and cuts. Sasuke had not been going easy on him, that was for sure.

Sasuke was less burnt and had fewer cuts, but there was a nasty abrasion in his side, a clear result of having been introduced to the wrong side of a Rasengan. Like Naruto, he looked strained, but his Sharingan eyes blazed with the same keen intelligence and dark determination as they had when she had last seen them. She noticed that he kept both of those eyes trained on Naruto, not even bothering to look at her.

The realization opened old wounds, but she would not let herself be defeated by it. She had not been training so intensely in the past three years to be useless here. This time, she would make a difference. Despite Naruto's warning, she stepped forward.

"Sakura!" cried Naruto. "Stop...!"

"No, Naruto," she said calmly, "I'm going to help. Try as you might, you won't stop me."

"But...!"

"Naruto!" she snapped, "You have to understand. I've got to do this! Sasuke-kun is my teammate, too."

"I told you before," Sasuke said, "I am not going to associate with Konoha anymore. I have nothing against you, but if you get in my way, I won't be merciful." He glared at her and Naruto alternately, watching her approach the blond. She set her hand to Naruto's shoulder, beginning to heal it. Not wanting to give Naruto an opportunity to recover, he charged. Though he had lost his sword in the blazing aftermath of the fireball that shattered the cavern arena, he was more than capable without it.

Naruto and Sakura leaped in opposite directions, Naruto going left and Sakura to Sasuke's right. Having never considered Sakura much of a threat, Sasuke pursued the more dangerous and more physically exhausted Naruto first. Without his sword, he resorted to taijutsu that he had not often used in recent months. Naruto kept up, though his chakra was depleting and the wound in his arm made movement painful.

Ignoring Sakura turned out not to be so advantageous, however. The ground split suddenly beneath his feet, causing him to reel off balance. This momentary lack of coordination allowed Naruto to score a glancing hit to his good side. Knocked over, he somersaulted across the dirt, then leaped up to avoid a flight of shuriken thrown at him by Sakura with deadly precision. He landed in a tree, only to be met with an explosive tag going off in his face. Leaping from the branches, Sasuke narrowly avoided death.

Naruto met him back on the ground, whirling his tails around like a sledgehammer at Sasuke. The Uchiha boy blocked the mass of chakra with both arms, but he was sent flying yet again... straight into the path of more shuriken. Drawing a kunai knife, he deflected them all effortlessly, landing—finally—unmolested, but extremely frustrated. Though it was clear that he could easily keep up with both Naruto and Sakura, there was no way that he could find an opening to do serious damage while they worked together.

"Sakura," he said, "You have never been more annoying."

Sakura looked him squarely in the eyes, her face serious, keeping her calm in spite of the turmoil that Sasuke could see behind her eyes.

"I said before," she said, mimicking his tone from earlier, "That I would do anything for you, Sasuke-kun. That includes fighting you, and if necessary, hurting you."

"If you continue to fight me, Sakura, I will kill you."

Sakura swallowed heavily. She knew he meant it. "Better that I die than Naruto," she said, causing both of her teammate's eyes to widen. "He's always done what's best for both of us. He did the most to try to save you three years ago, even to the brink of death, and he is the most capable now. If my death helps him to save you, then so be it."

"Sakura..." Naruto said softly. He was astonished at what he was hearing. Three years ago, such a speech would have made him cry.

Sakura, shaking slightly now, went on. "And if at the end you still won't be saved... Then maybe killing me can help you in your quest for revenge. It could help you win the Mangekyou Sharingan. Either way, if I die here, it will be a death that will ultimately help you, Sasuke-kun... though I'd much rather help you in life."

Sasuke pondered this, momentarily speechless. Could one person be so devoted as this to another?

"Sakura, would you really die willingly for me?" he asked. "Die just so I can have the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Sakura inhaled deeply. "Yes... I would, if I had to. If you had that power, then you wouldn't need Orochimaru. You could have your revenge and still have yourself afterward."

A memory came back to Sasuke, one of him walking through the woods, wounded from his fight with Naruto, swearing that he would not follow Itachi's path, taking an oath to gain power in his own way. Yet here was a willing sacrifice that could possibly make all of his bargaining with the Snake Sannin unnecessary.

_But, is she important enough to me?_ Sasuke asked himself, closing his eyes. _Would killing her cause me enough pain to make the eye awaken?_

More memories. Sakura weeping over him after the battle in the wave country. Sakura bravely fighting the monster Gaara to help him. Sakura trying desperately to persuade him not to leave the village...

He opened his eyes. Sakura stood before him, willing to give her life even if all she did was aid his revenge, a personal quest that she didn't really understand. Sasuke took it all in, and he felt something in him stir. He was moved.

_Yes,_ he thought, _it just might be enough._

"Sakura..." he said, filling his hand with the power of Chidori, "Thank you!" He lunged, dragging the lethal jutsu through the hard ground as he had when he was younger. Bringing it up, he aimed to plunge it straight into her heart. As the final moment came, he stared into the girl's face, saw the shock, the sadness, and the determination to stand her ground. His hand reached out to deliver the killing blow.

The Chidori would have hit dead-on, but once again, the Uchiha avenger was interrupted. Naruto interposed himself between him and his target, grabbing hold of the killing arm with both hands and all nine tails in an effort to save his female teammate's life. He did not stop the momentum of Sasuke's charge, however, and all three members of Team Seven were driven backwards until they slammed into a nearby tree, crushing Sakura between Naruto and the wide trunk. Bones were heard snapping, and Sakura screamed in agony, then fell silent.

Sasuke was furious.

"Naruto!" he yelled. "Why are you always in my way? Sakura said that she would have given me the power willingly!"

He yanked hard at his arm, pulling it out of Naruto's grasp. "You wanted to keep me from becoming Orochimaru's pawn. This would have given me the power to be free!"

Naruto brought his head up to look at Sasuke. His eyes had a feral gleam to them, and his body shook with a rage that cried out for justice.

"I get that Itachi killed your family," he growled. "I can understand why you want to kill him in return. But the way you're doing things, I can't see how you're any better!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Itachi murdered his family for power. You, Sasuke, were about to murder Sakura, who, along with me and Kakashi-sensei, is about the only family you've got left, so that you can get the same power."

He gently put the unconscious Sakura on the ground behind the tree she had been crushed on, then stood tall as he accused his former comrade.

"Your two ambitions were to kill Itachi and restore your clan, right?" he continued. "Well, the second one became impossible when you left, Missing Nin-san. Nobody's going to help you rebuild Uchiha now. And the first one isn't going to happen either, because even if you _do _kill your brother, Itachi lives on in you, Sasuke."

His eyes began to turn from blue to red, and the chakra in his nine tails combusted into brilliant red flame. Naruto gathered his breath and yelled into Sasuke's face. "Congratulations, dumbass! Leaving the village, murdering your family, doing whatever it takes for power without caring about anything else... You are now officially the very thing that you set out to destroy!"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide and his mouth tightened. Then he began to tremble with rage. An old mark on his neck, which had been unused for years, began to burn and expand across his pale skin.

"No," he said softly.

Then his voice became a yell. "No! I am different from him. Sakura _wanted_ to give me the power. He _stole _it! Do not compare me to him!"

"Willing or not, you were still going to kill her!" Naruto shot back. "No power is worth killing a friend! Idiot!"

"Shut up!"

The two of them, each burning with titanic power born of evil and a desire for blood, lunged for each other's throats.

OoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty-Five oOoOoOoO

**A/N:** I hope that's good enough for you guys, and especially for you, kagehusha. It's all I can write at the moment, as I'm about to fall asleep at my desk.

Please review and keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. It should be here within the next 24 to 42 hours. While you're waiting, I'd like to hear what it is that pleases you about my work—in essence, my strong points and weak points as an author. It'll help me in this fic and continue to help me if I end up writing more after I finish this.

Until next time! (Which is undoubtedly quite soon... kekeke...)


	29. C26: Inner Struggle, Shining Eyes

**A/N: **I know, I lied! Don't kill me over being 18 hours late!

Okay, I know some of you are miffed over Sakura last chapter. It is understandable that you would be so, as few people are so devoted as to willingly offer themselves as sacrifices, especially in this case since the result would be another Itachi. Understand this: Sakura fully intended to fight Sasuke to the end alongside Naruto, knowing full well that she was likely to die. She was comforted in the knowledge that if Sasuke did indeed kill her, he might then obtain the power he needed so that he would not have to give up his soul to Orochimaru. Of course, she would _much_ rather end it with all of the members of team 7 alive, but Sasuke, hearing her reasoning, took her words as an invitation, and charged her directly. Sakura, caught by surprise and being much slower than Sasuke's full speed, had no time to move out of the way; she was _not_ simply standing there and waiting to die for the sake of Sasuke's power quest. Fortunately, Naruto was fast enough.

I hope that eases some of your minds. I'll see if I can edit the previous chapter to make this more clear.

In the meantime, here is the chapter you've been waiting on:

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Inner Struggle, Shining Eyes**

"Hey, hey," gasped one Sound nin, "Slow down! We've been running full-out for ten minutes, now, and me with a broken arm! There's nobody around us... why don't we rest a little?"

"Because, you idiot," replied his companion, leaping onto another tree, "Our prisoner here is a high-value target. Do you think they'll let us have her so easily? That kid got away, and we don't know if the dog is still tailing us or not..."

The first one groaned as he grabbed another handhold with his good arm. "Why did we have to take her, then?"

Impatiently, his comrade explained, "Those bumbling fools who were tripping over each other in retreat aren't going about it the right way. Even if they aren't caught by the Leaf—and they will be—it is impossible to hide from Orochimaru-sama. Every one of them will die, mark my words. We, however... we've got ourselves a treasure. If we ship out to another country across the sea before anyone misses us, we've got a good chance of not being caught. Then we can ransom this kid off and have enough money to live comfortably for a good long while. Don't you think that's better than dying?"

The first Sound nin had to admit that it was a good idea, even if the odds were one in fifty that it would actually work. He resolved to go through with it.

Suddenly, a loud noise off in the distance made both of them halt in their trees and turn to look. They could see only smoke, but with the echoes of the noise, they began to feel something. And a large something it was... so much so that the ninja with the broken arm was compelled to cringe and start shivering.

"D-do you feel that?" he asked fearfully.

"Yeah," replied his friend. "A massive chakra..."

"You too? Then, h-have they f-found us?"

"Whether they have or not, I'm not going to hang around to find out! Come on, let's...!"

But it seemed that "out!" was the word that brought little Hyuuga girls back to consciousness, for their captive had suddenly seized advantage of their distraction and twisted in the Sound ninja's grip, bringing her palm to bear against his abdomen.

"**Jyuuken!"**

Hanabi's captor keeled over, dropping her. She grabbed hold of a branch and caught herself before she hit the ground, and hauled herself up onto it. Quickly, she turned to meet the other Sound ninja's attack.

However, the attack didn't come. Instead, the ninja with the broken arm regarded her with a grim smile.

"He deserved that," he said, "Thinking of hostages when he should have been running for his life. Now his hesitation's put both of us in danger of that... whatever it is that's out there. Serves him right. He's on his own now, and I'm out of here. I hope you can find your people fast; that thing out there is big, whatever it is."

With that, he vanished into the trees to seek safety in the far corners of the earth.

Hanabi caught her breath, relaxed out of her battle stance. Then she turned towards the village.

"I will _not _ need to be rescued again. Let the monster come, if it wants. Either way, I'm going home."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The forest surrounding the crater was ablaze.

The Uchiha avenger, strong with the fire-attuned blood of his clan, and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, whose feral chakra expressed a hunger for destruction with brilliant flame, met in the center, and their titanic struggle left nothing unscathed. Everything in the crater that could burn, burned. And anything could burn when touched by Naruto's Kyuubi-tainted Tails of Light.

With fire all around him, Sasuke, his cursed seal wrapped around him with serpentine blackness, had an infinite amount of ammunition to use with his fire-controlling jutsu. Flames from all sides were plucked from their sources—trees, bushes, fallen logs, moss—and sent hurling as blazing missiles towards the enraged Jinchuuriki by the hundreds. Nine fiery tails swatted at them, batting them into the ground, turning the crater into an inferno.

Through this constant rain of flames and across the wasted earth, the two old rivals struggled to wipe one another out with their claws, feet, elbows and knees; whatever was convenient at the moment. Sasuke's Sharingan detected every move of his opponent's body, and he blocked it easily. Chakra would lash out at him, but more often than not he could dodge it or deflect it with a gout of flame.

They exchanged hundreds of blows in the space of the forty seconds in which this dragged on, before Naruto attempted a deathblow from an aerial flip. His foot came downward with massive force, intent on splitting Sasuke's skull. The avenger evaded nimbly, and the Jinchuuriki's foot came down hard into the ground that his tails had melted and stuck fast. Even with the Kyuubi's enormous strength, Naruto had to labor to pull it out, and that inconvenience afforded Sasuke a free attack. Taking the opportunity, the cursed Uchiha swiftly and solidly delivered his own foot into his old rival's chin, knocking him loose of the molten ground and high into the air.

Sasuke grinned and followed up the attack, ceasing the constant barrage of flames and instead gathering the rampant fires all up into a single, ball-shaped destructive blaze. It was much larger than the ball from the cave, and this time Naruto was in the air, unable to run away. This time, massive damage would be inflicted. With a great cry and a final hand sign, Sasuke sent the burning ball of death roaring at Naruto. As it flew, the flickering flames began to darken to purple, and then to black as evil power infused it.

"**Katon: Hoshinsei no Jutsu!"** he crowed. (Fire Style: Fire Nova Technique)

Naruto and Kyuubi had one thing in common; neither of them would allow himself to die. In both of his hands, Naruto gathered an enormous ball of swirling chakra, pulsing with bright, blue power. From without, the Nine Tails of Light, filled so full of the Kyuubi's power that they literally burned, stroked the ball, adding the blood-red chakra of the monster fox. As the two chakras converged inside the swirling mass, the ball swelled until it was larger than Naruto himself.

The dark ball of flame was nearly upon him. Thrusting with both hands, Naruto pushed his creation between himself and death.

"I'm not dying yet! **Oodama Rasengan!**" (Great Spiraling Sphere)

The ball of twin chakras encountered the ball of black flame, and while the amount of power in each might have been equal, the maelstrom of swirling motion within the enhanced Rasengan prevailed. The black flame was engulfed and utterly consumed by Naruto's technique. The Rasengan kept falling along with its master, now swirling with three colors: Blue, red, and black.

Sasuke was displeased. "You're not going to beat me with my own jutsu, Naruto."

He called more flame to his hands from the burning forest. With his curse-tainted chakra, he created a frame. With his dominance over flame, he curled the flames around the frame, forming a fiery sword to replace the metal blade he had lost. Then he called forth the lightning of Chidori, reinforcing the fireblade with electrical fury. The completed weapon crackled with life in his hand, the black core of evil chakra plated with crimson fire and singing with sickly birdcalls. Static flickered out of it, as though itching for something to hurt.

Thusly armed, Sasuke ran headlong into the oncoming sphere of destruction. The ball hit the ground and began to roll, driven by it's enraged creator towards the lone warrior before it. Compared to Sasuke, the larger force seemed prematurely victorious. Yet the Uchiha boy only set his teeth and charged on, holding his insubstantial sword out before him.

Naruto howled in anticipation, fully expecting his jutsu to swallow his opponent whole. Yet when the ball and its target met and Sasuke's war cry did not immediately cease, the Jinchuuriki wondered. Then he felt the jutsu begin to come apart in his hands, the momentum of the swirling disrupted. Naruto struggled with all his might to keep it going, but the Rasengan, unstable from the beginning with so much power contained within, could no longer be held together by any means. It burst, and the two chakras, along with the black fire, dispersed into the air.

In its wake, Sasuke appeared, his sword likewise disintegrated in the chaos, spinning out of the dying maelstrom with a flying kick aimed at Naruto's face. The Jinchuuriki saw it coming and blocked it with his hands, though the force of it shook him almost to the point of making him cry out. He slid back several feet in the molten mud, and Sasuke backflipped, landing in the ground to recover from his failed attack.

_This is his trump card from three years ago, _Sasuke thought. _But now it has a name... Kyuubi. _

He recalled what Orochimaru had told him about the monster. It was inside Naruto, where his chakra mixed together with the boy's freely, accelerating his healing, increasing his stamina, and during a time when Naruto was in mortal danger or had extremely heightened emotions, even taking precedence over Naruto's normal chakra.

_But the trigger is in the mind, and the mind is in the domain of the Sharingan, _Sasuke remembered. _If I wanted to, I could suppress this power. _

He watched as Naruto dragged his body back up to its feet and fan his tails out threateningly. The blond Jinchuuriki was roaring in frustration and anger.

The avenger pondered. _However, using the power seems to cause him trouble as much as it helps him. In this condition, his thoughts are unstable, and he has to fight with the monster inside him for control. All that growling is as much because of Kyuubi as it is because of me. If I can get him mad enough, he might get so wrapped up in his inner turmoil that he'll be unable to fight me... and then I can easily finish him. _

He grinned to himself. _And wouldn't it be ironic if the power that confused me three years ago could be used to defeat him now?_

Then his thoughts were disrupted by a flash from high above them. _Flares! His friends are out looking for us! And without a doubt they'll have sensed our chakra and know exactly where to find us! I have to move this battle, now!_

Sasuke flashed a cocky smile at his opponent. "Well, Naruto," he said, "It's been fun. But it looks like I don't have time to finish this."

He gathered the last of the embers from the smoldering forest and flung them at Naruto's face. Immediately, he took off into the trees.

Naruto, angry, swatted the fireball out of the air and followed him. "You're not running away again, Sasuke!" he yelled.

Kyuubi pulled at his slackened concentration, seeking dominance. Grunting, Naruto worked to force him down, even as he ran after his lost friend.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In Konoha, the battle was over.

The Hyuuga had cheered along with the other shinobi, and Haruka had been pleased to hear that some of them praised her name. The days when she had lost all hope of ever getting along with her clansmen again were a hazy memory; now she was drunk on all of the hero-worship that had been lavished upon her. They had praised her even more than they had Hiashi!

Best of all, the Clan Head hadn't seemed to mind the fact that he'd been upstaged. Instead, he thanked her, and all of his loyal guards followed suit. The lesser warriors had all smiled, bowed, and saluted her as she passed them.

_I would have settled for being allowed to go near them in broad daylight, but this is definitely a welcome change,_ she thought. _Now, I just have one more "thank you" to collect..._

She crossed the last stretch of street to Keisuke's gate and threw it open with a resounding clang. Walking boldly up the path to the house, she had a smug expression on her face that she planned to keep for several hours as she extorted favors of gratitude from the occupant within. Haruka swaggered inside the open door and called out loudly to her partner.

"Hey, blind man! Great Father, Keisuke of the Grave, Unseeing Idiot Extraordinaire! Crawl out of whatever hole you're hiding in and worship me like the rest of this town!"

When she did not immediately hear a voice or the sound of blind feet tripping over furniture, she walked further inside and made her way towards his common chamber. Throwing open the sliding door, she yelled again.

"Keisuke! Tadaima! The savior of your people requires thanking!"

When there was again, no answer, Haruka began to get annoyed.

"Fine. If you're so reluctant to come out and thank me, I'll drag you out! **Byakugan!**"

Veins around her eye sockets bulged in her skin as her doujutsu activated. Looking through the entire house simultaneously she searched for her hidden partner.

She searched for five minutes. Nothing.

"He had better not be hiding halfway across town to avoid me," she said. Yet, a feeling of wrongness had begun to creep beneath her skin, and her annoyed expression had softened to an emotion that the once-outcast Hyuuga woman almost never displayed—worry.

Then, her enhanced vision fell upon something she had overlooked: a scrap of paper on the table that hadn't been there when she'd left. Stepping hesitantly into the room, she turned off her Byakugan and moved towards it. Her knees were shaking and her breath came unexpectedly ragged. Suddenly the air seemed icily cold.

Reaching down with a trembling hand, Haruka picked up the note and held it in front of her face.

"No way," she whispered, her face turning deathly white. "Keisuke, you bastard, this isn't the time for your damned jokes..."

But as the cold enveloped her and she let the note fall from her hand, Haruka knew that it was no joke. The paper landed face up on the floor, where moonlight illuminated the words...

_**The Rokujuuyon Reiude will be mine.**_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata was tired, low on chakra, was chasing after two opponents that had been strong enough to nearly kill her teammate, and had no idea where she should start looking after Kiba's bloody trail ended. Yet, her nindo persisted still; she would search until she found them, and fight until her last breath. She could do no less for the promise she had made to Shino, and she wouldn't let herself do any less for her little sister.

She had followed Kiba's trail of blood until it stopped a short way from where she had started, and then she used the Byakugan to identify and then follow the footprints of his attackers until their trail was lost near the village walls. Guessing that they had scaled the wall and left the village, she did the same and headed into the forest.

Following footprints had been difficult in the village, and it was impossible to do so when her quarry had leaped through trees. Her best bet, then, was to move deep into the woodlands, keeping her Byakugan active and her head on a swivel. She did so without much luck.

Then, a huge presence washed over her senses. Two distinct chakras, both of them huge, were not too far away from her. They made her nervous; it probably wasn't Hanabi or her kidnappers, but whatever it was likely wasn't friendly. Hinata looked towards it, focusing all of the power of the Byakugan in that one direction. She confirmed that neither chakra was friendly to Konoha. But a shock ran down her spine as recognition flashed in her head.

She didn't know what the purple-black chakra was, but she did know the identity of the feral, red kind.

Hinata was saved from further useless worrying by a loud and frenzied bark below her. Peering downward, the young Hyuuga recognized a friend.

"Akamaru-kun!" she cried. She leaped down to the ground to meet him, inspecting his condition. "Oh, Akamaru-kun, that cut on your side looks awful... did Kiba-kun order you away from the battle because of it?"

Akamaru gave a low whimper and curled his head into his fur. It was obvious that the big dog was ashamed of having been unable to help his master. Hinata took the meaty beast's head in both of her hands, stroking it soothingly.

"Don't worry, Kiba-kun is going to live," she said. Akamaru seemed somewhat comforted.

Hinata, satisfied that the beast was all right, continued speaking. "Did Kiba-kun also ask you to follow the bad men and my sister?"

Akamaru seemed to remember something, for he instantly broke free of Hinata's grasp, turned to face into the forest, and barked urgently. He lowered himself to the ground, waiting for the girl to mount him.

Hinata smiled and sighed in relief. "Thank you, Akamaru-kun," she said, climbing on. "Please hurry! I need to get Hanabi back home before... before that terrible chakra finds her."

Akamaru understood perfectly, and was off without any further hesitation. The wind ruffled his fur and blew in Hinata's dark hair as he bounded at full bestial speed toward his target. From his back, the Hyuuga girl looked off into the distance, observing the gigantic chakras that she saw there. It seemed that both of them were evenly matched in terms of raw power, and neither one looked ready to stop.

Then, the black chakra began moving rapidly away from its opponent. The red chakra surged angrily.

_Naruto-kun, _Hinata worried, _I want to help you, but I must save Hanabi first. Please... please hold out until I get there!_

Akamaru stopped abruptly and began sniffing the air. After a few moments, he began whimpering.

Concerned, Hinata spoke softly to the animal. "What is it, Akamaru-kun? Did you lose the scent? Don't worry, I'm sure you can..."

But the dog whimpered again. Turning to face northeast, he stamped his paws uncomfortably and gave a loud, fearful bark. Hinata realized that he had not lost the scent at all; he was worried about something else. Looking in the direction in which he faced, Hinata tried to see what it was.

"Is this the direction the scent goes, Akamaru-kun?"

An affirmative growl and a tossing of the head.

"Oh, but that's..." Hinata paused, horrified.

"That's the same direction _they're_ going."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"SASUKE!" roared Kyuubi/Naruto. "COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT!"

He raced after Sasuke on all fours, burning tails waving behind him, smashing or torching whatever got in his way. Be it plant, rock, or animal, nothing impeded the enraged Jinchuuriki's progress. And as Sasuke continued to evade him, his rage only increased.

_Good, _Sasuke thought. _The madder he gets, the closer I am to ending this. And while we're running around, the pursuers will have to work to catch us. I didn't expect this fight to take so long, but now I know the extent of his power. _

He leaped from tree branch to tree branch with speed that the average jounin couldn't match on his best day. Naruto's rage-inspired power, however, made him ever-so-slightly faster; although Sasuke had gotten a jump start, his old friend would eventually catch him. When that happened, he'd have to hope that Naruto was close to angry enough... he could only come up with so many good taunts. His shirt was in tatters, and it was close to disintegrating completely. Contemptuously, he tore the remnants off and released them into the wind, hoping to have them land in Naruto's face and enrage him more.

It had the intended effect, and more. As Naruto's rage increased, so did his speed, and the Uchiha avenger suddenly found himself grabbed by the ankle and sent tumbling across the ground. Sasuke barely managed to put his feet between his vitals and the tree that rushed at him, preventing serious injury.

Then, as he jumped lightly off the tree onto the ground to look for Naruto, he heard a startled gasp, and changed the focus of his eyes. Before him was a ten-year-old girl with silver-white eyes that were wide with surprise and—not surprisingly, considering the amount of chakra that was flying around—fear.

_A witness, _he thought. _Not good. If she tells anyone where we've gone, the pursuit will gain an advantage. By the time the fight is over, I might not have the strength to outrun them..._

He raised one hand and called forth Chidori. It was not a powerful one, as Sasuke could not afford to waste too much of his dwindling chakra, but it would be sufficient to end one little girl's life. He looked at Naruto.

_The idiot's too busy howling himself hoarse,_ he thought. _I have time..._

Indeed, Naruto's battle with Kyuubi was reaching a fever pitch inside his head, and he was fighting with all his will to suppress the monster before rejoining the battle with Sasuke. He looked completely harmless to Sasuke's eyes. Satisfied that there was no danger in taking his concentration off the blond, the Uchiha dashed in to kill the witness.

Naruto didn't see Sasuke move. He saw an enormous paw rattling the bars of a cage, trying desperately to break free. Though he shoved Rasengan after Rasengan at the monster fox to keep it at bay, nothing seemed to keep it down. Trapped in this losing battle, he was blind to the world outside.

But then something from the outside _did_ reach his senses. A clear, pure voice crying out to him through the void, pleading him to come back, to take action in the real world...

"Naruto-kun!" it shouted. Suddenly he lost sight of the cage and the paw, and his eyes focused into reality. The voice continued shouting, and it was joined with the barking of a dog.

"Naruto-kun, please save her! Naruto-kun!"

"Hinata?" he rasped. Then, his eyes fully focused, he saw Sasuke. He was only thirty yards away from a young girl who resembled a Hyuuga, the Chidori chirping in his palm. The voice echoed in his aching head...

_Save her...!_

His muscles forgot that they were tired. His mind forgot that it was supposed to be fighting off the advance of the Kyuubi. The chakra that he wielded forgot that it was supposed to be used for murderous rampaging. They did what Naruto wanted them to do.

Likewise, Naruto forgot that he was fighting anything at all. He knew that Sasuke was about to take an innocent life, and that in itself was abominable. Add to that the fact that someone close to him wanted that life saved, and suddenly saving it became Naruto's number one priority.

The chakra that had once nearly destroyed Konoha bent to Naruto's will and against the will of its true master, and granted the power to protect. Naruto focused it all into his legs and feet and dashed madly for the girl.

Sasuke was twenty yards away. Naruto was twenty-five.

Sasuke was ten yards away. Naruto was seventeen.

_Save her!_

Sasuke was five yards away. Naruto was in front of him, his arms raised defensively before the target, and Sasuke was moving too quickly to change his momentum. With a horrific sound of flesh ripping, the Chidori impacted against the human shield. Hanabi stumbled backwards and fell onto her backside, but she could not escape the blood that splashed her front.

And nobody's ears escaped the scream that came from Naruto's mouth.

"Naruto-kun!" yelled Hinata. She and Akamaru had finally caught up, and the girl was staring aghast at the gruesome scene before her.

Hanabi remained on the ground, unable to do anything. She felt the spilled blood of the blond on her face and arms, and saw the bloody hand that protruded from the exit wound. Her eyes could see, with astounding clarity, the masses of black and red chakra that pulsed before her. She had heard the stories about the red kind, and about the nine tails that had been associated with it. Those tails waved before her now, dimly burning.

She had been told, after the Chuunin exam where she had first seen it, not to go anywhere near the red chakra. She had been told that it was inherently evil and would destroy her. Hanabi had also sworn that she would not need to be rescued again. Yet, this "evil" had just saved her life, and somehow she didn't feel so bad about it.

"Wh-why?" she asked the back of the thing. "What made you want to help me?"

The monster's head turned to look at her. A grim and bloody smile was on its face, and its red eyes burned with determination.

"Because," he said, "I'm going to be Hokage. Saving people is part of what I do."

_And because Hinata wanted me to,_ he added in his head. _You're lucky she was here, or I might not have noticed..._

"Hanabi!" cried Hinata, "Come here! It's dangerous!"

Naruto agreed. "Go to Hinata. Get out of here, find my teammate, Sakura, and go home."

Sasuke took in all of this with anger. More and more interruptions were taking place. _If this keeps up, we'll be found, _he thought. _And on top of that, Naruto seems to have gotten his control back. The Kyuubi's chakra is in him, but somehow he has direct control!_

He watched as the girl he'd tried to kill ran to her sister. _If she gets away, it could hurt my chances of escaping. I didn't want to have to do this, but winning quickly is more important than irony right now. I have to!_

Sasuke drew back his free hand and punched at Naruto. The blond was alert enough to try to duck under it, but the blow connected on his forehead protector, which knocked him sprawling on his back with a hole in his right shoulder. The hitai-ate headband was dislodged, and skittered across the ground to stop at Hanabi's feet.

_Well, I suppose that's somewhat nostalgic, _Sasuke said. _He had a hole there last time I fought him, too. And it's healing just like before... well, it won't after I do this._

He fixed Naruto with his Sharingan eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto," he said. "But this will be the end of your power."

Suddenly, Naruto was back in his mind, and the cage containing Kyuubi was before him once more.

**_Curse you, kid,_** growled the fox. **_I was _winning_, but somehow you still have the strength to make a last stand. And now this opponent of yours is going to lock me away completely again..._**

Naruto felt that it was true; the Kyuubi's chakra was beginning to fade from him.

"What the...?" he started.

"Perhaps I should have done this earlier," Sasuke said, standing behind him. "It would have saved me a lot of trouble..."

"EH?" Naruto whipped around, staring at him in surprise. "Sasuke! How did you get into my mind?"

"The Sharingan is more than a copycat's tool," Sasuke responded. His face was serious; he was planning to finish the fight after this.

Hinata and Hanabi, meanwhile, were confused.

"Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata. "What's going on? What do you mean, he's in your mind? Is he hurting you from inside?" She wanted to help him, but was at a loss at how to do it.

Hanabi heard all this and concern grew in her. Her life may have been saved now, but what would happen if her savior fell to this man's mental attack now? The attacker was undoubtedly fast, and could likely catch them if they ran. Their best bet was to help this monster blond keep fighting.

_But how can we?_ Hanabi thought. _If his mind is under attack, we can't stop it... and it's too dangerous to approach him physically, the Sharingan guy is watching us even while he's doing this!_

She peered into the red Uchiha eyes for a moment, then turned away, focusing instead on the forehead protector at her feet. _Damn it, those eyes are so weird..._

Then she brought her eyes up to look at the grounded Naruto. She noticed a strange marking on his forehead.

_The Caged Bird seal! How did it get there?_ But she did not wonder long about where it came from, for fate had cursed her with a good brain, and that brain had an idea.

_It could work, _Hanabi thought, pondering it, _but it might not, and if it doesn't work, it will do us more harm than good..._

She stared at the blond, whose face was contorted in an effort to fight off the mental assault even as his red power was fading.

_But, it's the only idea I've got!_

Bringing her hand up before her and concentrating, Hanabi formed the secret Main House seal.

In Naruto's head, the cage room quaked and became an inferno.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. Then the fire caught him, and he was consumed by burning pain. He rolled around on the floor of the room in agony, but nothing suppressed the flames. Struggling only made them burn hotter. He screamed.

He wasn't the only one to fall prey to it. Kyuubi roared in his cage, his own fire unable to hold back the advance of the blaze. His fur caught the fire, and the fox was engulfed in scathing pain. Sasuke, Sharingan eyes wide with shock, tried to leap for the exit, but the exit was gone. The flames were everywhere, and within moments, he too was caught and rolling frantically on the floor in agony. In desperation, he returned to his own body. But the flames had still burned him, and he had to struggle within himself to heal the burns.

In the outer world, both Sasuke and Naruto were twisting and screaming under the onslaught of Hanabi's jutsu. After a moment of thinking that Naruto and Sasuke were destroying each other's minds, Hinata noticed her sister's hand position and gasped.

"Hanabi!" she cried, grabbing hold of her sister's hands, "What are you doing? You're going to kill him!"

"No, Hinata," croaked Naruto, rising to his feet, "She did the right thing. Got that bastard out of my head."

He peered inside himself for a moment. _Hey, fox. You alive in there?_

**_Were you hoping I was dead?_** came the reply.

_It can't hurt to hope, _Naruto returned bitterly. _Well, if you're still here, are you at least going to help keep us alive?_

_**You do it. Take my chakra and fight for yourself—I've got my hands full trying to save my fur.**_

Naruto grinned a moment, picturing a giant nine-tailed fox without fur. _Okay,_ he replied. _So you're too hurt to interfere directly. Suits me fine. I'll be able to concentrate better, anyway._

Slowly, he felt the power return to him. This time there was no arguing over control with the fox—apparently, the assault _had _done him harm. Naruto wasn't taking any chances, however. He kept his emotions subdued, focusing instead on accomplishing the goal: defeat Sasuke.

Hinata and Hanabi watched as the red chakra surged back into Naruto's body. At first, Hinata was afraid. However, as she watched, she saw that Naruto was not having any conflict within himself, and held himself stable and ready. The nine tails, though they maintained a high concentration of the evil chakra, did not burst into flame as they had before. Naruto was himself.

Watching Sasuke, waiting for him to pull himself together, Naruto spoke to them.

"Hinata," he said, his voice once again strong, "Take her and get out of here. Find Sakura... Akamaru should be able to if he follows my trail home... and then get to the village and call for help. Go now!"

Hinata nodded. She turned to her sister.

"Hanabi," she said, "You go. Let Akamaru-kun find Sakura-chan like he said, and then send help this way as soon as you can."

"_**WHAT?"**_ Naruto and Hanabi had spoken as one in surprise.

"No questions, Hanabi," Hinata said, hoisting her onto the back of the dog. "Go, Akamaru-kun!"

The beast, more than happy to get out of this danger and back to his master, bounded off without giving Hanabi a chance to complain further. Naruto stared at the remaining Hyuuga, eyes wide in shock.

"You..." he said, "Why didn't you go with her? It's dangerous here, you know that! Do you want to be killed?"

"I know it's dangerous, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, walking forward to stand next to him. Her Byakugan was active, and her pearly eyes were bright with determination. "That's why I'm staying with you. I don't want you to die."

"I'm a lot less likely to die than you are!" he yelled. "Sasuke isn't going to back down until one of us wins, and he'll kill whoever's in his way! I know how he fights, and I have the Kyuubi's chakra. Look, my wounds are even healing! You don't have that! You could easily be maimed or killed!"

"I know."

Naruto was flabbergasted. He fumed at her, desperately trying to get her to go home and leave this to him. "Is slightly increasing my chance to survive really worth putting your life at such huge risk?"

Hinata regarded him with passionate, unblinking eyes.

"To me, Naruto-kun..." she said, "It's more than worth it. Because to me, your life is as valuable as mine."

No sounds would come out of Naruto's mouth anymore. His jaws worked, but there was something in his throat that prohibited sound waves from leaving. It felt like a large lump.

"How lucky, Naruto," said Sasuke, finally banishing the pain in his mind. "Here's a girl who says she'll do anything for you, at night under starry skies. But you know, our Team Seven has a tradition. After making such a discovery, the discoverer doesn't return to the village."

The Uchiha's cursed seal was pulsing, stretching, encompassing his entire body and wreaking drastic change.

"Since leaving the village on a quest for black power isn't on your to-do list, one can only assume that you had died."

Naruto found his voice again, staring at Sasuke with dread. "Oh, crap... this is really bad."

"Naruto-kun," asked Hinata, "What's he doing?"

"That seal is going up to its second level. He'll be stronger than he ever was before, while I," Naruto grimaced, looking over the sorry state of his hastily-healed wounds and ragged clothes, "Am damned near the limit of my strength."

Hinata looked at Sasuke through the Byakugan. It was true; the Uchiha was several times more powerful.

"Then, what do you plan to do, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto furrowed his brow. "I've only got one idea," he said. "If it works the way it does for Keisuke-nii-chan and Haruka, then it'll up our odds a lot. But, I've never done it before, so I don't know if it will work for me..."

Hinata's eyes grew wide with comprehension. She remembered a time when he had talked about this technique—a jutsu used between two people, that Keisuke and Haruka often used but that Naruto had never tried.

"Naruto-kun, do you mean...?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, "Synch..."

OoOoOoOoO End Chapter Twenty-Six OoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **You guys probably hate me now. Yet _another_ cliffhanger, and this whole Naruto-Sasuke thing is taking a long time (Four chapters already... geez!). If the length of the conflict annoys you, I'm sorry. There is so much plot revolving around this Sound invasion, I can't do anything about it. I promise, the Naruto-Sasuke fight will be resolved in chapter 27.

I only just got promoted to God (or so one reviewer told me). I don't want to lose rank so quickly. If there's anything you need from me to make it better, please ask.


	30. C27: Joined at the Soul

**A/N: **School starts again on Monday. : While it does mean I'll be seeing old faces, it also means that until I stop working (which will be a couple of weeks), I'll have to ration my time. I may not update so quickly anymore, though I'll be damned if I don't try.

On a positive note, I have something to share with you all. Gabzilla, bless her, has given my two excellent original characters something they never had before: visual aid! Be sure to check out this glorious fanart and others by this great artist when you have a moment.

And now, since I have already received multiple death threats that I am not entirely certain won't be carried out if I don't write this chapter, I give you the finale of the second Sound attack.

Behold! The next installment of Lifethane's masterpiece:

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Joined at the Soul**

Uchiha Sasuke was one part human and two parts monster. He should have been all-parts mental patient, as evidenced by his rapidly growing desire to kill a young man that was trying to help him. But he was not a mental patient; he was free, and his once-handsome form was beginning to mirror the terrible, evil shadow that enveloped his heart.

He had become the creature that had haunted Naruto's nightmares for three years. His skin had been entirely consumed by the mark of the cursed seal on his neck, and the evil, mutative powers of that black power had left it a dull, sickly-looking bronze. His raven-black hair had grown and fanned out like the hood of a spitting cobra, and it was mottled with ash-gray, dead streaks. As Naruto and Hinata watched, hideous webbed hands erupted from his back, cracking and popping as the unnatural joints aligned themselves with the natural bone of his shoulder blades. Naruto remembered that those disgusting appendages could be used as a defensive shroud, as well as wings that would allow him to stay airborne for unnatural distances after a leap. Sasuke's grinning mouth became more satirical than even Haruka could manage, as two evil little fangs protruded from his upper jaw.

There was no light in Sasuke's eyes. Even the whites had grown inky black, a reflection of the decay in his soul. Although the Sharingan blazed in his irises, the fire in them was dark and consuming.

The simple sight of this creature pained Naruto. He had held out hope, all these years, that somewhere beneath the Avenger, the power-crazed killing machine that would do anything—even sell his own soul—to be able to kill his older brother, his friend, Uchiha Sasuke of Team Seven, was still alive. True to his nindo and to the promise that his nindo bound him to fulfill, he had refused to give up that hope. Yet, whenever he saw the face of this monstrosity, whether in his dreams or now, in reality, he could find no trace of his friend and rival there. In these times, Jiraiya's warning that his efforts would only bring him pain came bubbling to the surface of his brain.

Always, he gave the same answer.

_I'm not like you, stupid Ero-Sennin,_ he would think. _I'm stronger, and I'm stubborner. I'll drag the bastard back and make him sorry if it kills me. Screw you and your warnings! _

It was difficult to bring that defiance to his mind now, with his mind and body drained and the devil standing before him. Sasuke's cursed form had only grown more ominous with age. His webbed-hand wings were even larger than before, and his musculature seemed almost to be like that of a statue of a vengeful god Naruto had once seen, only cast in impure bronze rather than marble.

But, remembering all that had happened that night—Sakura's bold attempt to fight Sasuke, the brave gamble made by the little Hyuuga girl, and Hinata's selfless intent to face this monster alongside him despite the incredible danger—he found the strength anew.

_Screw Ero-Sennin's attempt at wisdom, _he thought. _I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it. Too much has been lost for me to give it up now. I have Kyuubi's chakra, and the fox isn't going to fight me for it, at least for now. And..._

He looked to his right, at Hinata. She faced the threat as courageously as anyone else had tonight; she was firmly in her traditional combat stance, her burning white eyes fixated boldly on their enemy, watching for any sudden movement. She did not shake or tremble, but stood fast with determination.

Only in her lavender-tinted pupils was there any sign of fear, and even that was minimal, surrounded by a layer of resignation. Naruto could see that she knew full well the liklihood of her own death, and that though she clearly would rather not, she was prepared for the worst. Naruto was reminded of Sakura, whom Sasuke had left broken and bleeding on the edge of a smoldering crater. The same look had been in her green eyes.

And what Hinata had said to him only moments ago...

_... I have one of the greatest friends I'll ever have with me, _Naruto thought. _I won't let Sasuke make a corpse of her._

"Hinata," Naruto said, his eyes returning to the threat, "Take off your jacket. It'll make it easier for me to find the right places to link up."

"Okay," replied his new partner. Hurriedly, Hinata removed the outer garment, leaving on a lighter, shorter-sleeved shirt that would be easier for the Ghostly Arms to maneuver through.

Satisfied that he would have enough room, Naruto nodded. "Okay. Let's see if I can do this..."

Sasuke, however, had already finished his own preparations.

"Whatever you're planning," he said, vanishing seemingly into thin air with incredible speed, "It won't come to fruition!"

Naruto, who had been trying to concentrate on finding Hinata's tenketsus with his feelers, was only partially on his guard, and he barely registered the punch coming at him in time. He made a bright red wall out of his nine tails in front of him, blocking the punch. However, the force contained within the speeding fist staggered him, sending his dug-in feet skidding backward several yards.

Sasuke was visible for a moment as he recoiled from his failed blow, then he vanished again.

"Naruto-kun, he's too fast!" Hinata warned. "I can barely see him before he attacks... wait, he's...!"

Her sentence was cut off by the impact of another fist against Naruto's defensive tail-shield.

"...To your left!" Hinata said, far too late. Sasuke grinned at her as he flashed away again.

"Damn it," Naruto said, "I can keep up with his attacks and protect myself, but how the hell am I supposed to catch him if he's moving that fast?"

Hinata didn't have an answer. She could also keep aware of the Uchiha's movements and notice an attack before it came, but she could not do so fast enough to warn or help Naruto.

_I'm lucky he's attacking just Naruto-kun right now, _she realized. _If he were coming after me, I wouldn't be able to block it so easily, and dodging would be a gamble; it takes longer, and the Sharingan might see through it..._

Naruto kept his spare feelers fully extended and probing for more attacks, even as he sought Hinata's chakra coils.

Yet, in the next moment, his feelers were rendered useless, as were his eyes. In the sky, it was as though someone had turned off the moon and stars, leaving only an inky black void. As Naruto looked up to see where all the light had gone, the blackness spread throughout the whole forest, obscuring the trees, the bushes, and even the ground that he and Hinata stood upon. All was completely dark; Naruto could not even see himself. The blackness permeated everything, even the sixth sense provided by the Reiude; though they still functioned, it felt as though they were waving through mud instead of clear air.

"What the...?" Naruto thought aloud. "Hinata, is this genjutsu?"

Hinata didn't answer.

"She won't hear you," came the disembodied voice of Sasuke. "If she's talking to you, you won't be able to hear. My Kagegakure no Jutsu (Hiding in Shadows Technique) obstructs not just sight, but sound as well. You can hear only what I want you to hear."

Experimenting, Naruto found it was true. Though he felt the ground beneath him, he didn't see it, and no matter how hard he kicked at it, the dull thudding noise that he should have heard was inaudible. He strained to feel through his Ghostly Arms. Hinata was still there, but the Reiude's perception of her was muddled and slow. He found himself having to work harder to detect her chakra system's opening points.

He had to complete the synch, and fast. With his eyes blind and his Reiude reduced in effectiveness, he was going to have problems with the next attack. He needed Hinata's superior eyes, the Byakugan that could see through genjutsu like this. Concentrating, he pumped more chakra into his feelers to aid him in looking for the tenketsus...

And was bent nearly double as Sasuke's foot slammed into his gut. Naruto tumbled heels-over-head until some unknown object—it felt like a large rock—got in his way, and he halted with his back to it, the wind knocked out of him.

_Shit! _Naruto thought. _I couldn't pick it up at all!_

He felt Hinata's chakra surge beneath his feelers—she had seen what had happened to him and was distressed.

Sasuke grinned to himself in his self-made darkness. Naruto could no longer detect his incoming blows. The battle would soon be over. He clenched his clawed hand into a mighty fist, and dashed towards his old rival for the final time, aiming for his head. He would snap the blond's head backward so hard that his neck snapped.

As he closed to thirty yards, Sasuke began to feel the twinge of remorse and pity for Naruto—the same feelings that had stopped him from killing the blond three years ago. They cut through the black shadow around his heart and drew a trickle of blood.

_This is it, _he thought grimly. _I'm going to kill my best friend._ Images of the past, of Team Seven all together again surfaced in his mind. Images of rivalry and spite, and those of shared victories, mutual joys...

_No!_ he thought. Sasuke shoved the memories away. Thinking of that now would only hinder him, prevent him from striking the death blow as it had before. _I _am _going to do it this time, _he thought angrily. _This is will killing _him _possible_...

Another memory. Naruto yelling at him, his eyes red, saying, _"You are now officially the very thing that you set out to destroy!"_

"Shut up!" Sasuke hissed at nobody.

He was ten yards away. In another instant, he would be there, and Naruto would be dead. He raised his fist to deliver death to his old friend.

But the next instant saw something other than Naruto's broken neck. It saw Naruto's face light up in hope, then confidence as the boy stood up and—with remarkable reflexes—caught Sasuke's outstretched arm with both hands.

Sasuke's jaw slackened in stark disbelief. He searched his rival's face, trying to understand what had happened. With terrible confusion, he realized that Naruto's eyes were not focused on anything in particular—he still could not see him. Why, then, had he been able to seize Sasuke's arm so easily?

Naruto gave a small laugh, reveling in his triumph over Sasuke's spell.

"Finally," he said. "I was lucky Hinata's chakra spiked, or I wouldn't have found the right spots."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked. He struggled to pull his arm free of Naruto's grasp.

"Hehe... I'm going to get you back for that punch and more, Sasuke. Synchronization: complete!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had taken several long and precious minutes to find the cavern chamber that Sakura had sent her last transmission from, and it was taking several more to find the battle. Kakashi was beginning to feel as he had three years previously, following Pakkun after Naruto and Sasuke's trail. His mind was almost fevered with worry, and more and more he was feeling that it was already too late, that he would fail to stop them again.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"What is it, Lee?" replied Kakashi. He was glad to be distracted from his grim thoughts.

"I think I've found something! There are smoke wisps drifting up to our east! Could it be damage caused by Naruto-kun or his opponent?"

Kakashi's covered eye was facing east. Turning his good eye in that direction, he saw that the taijutsu specialist was correct.

"It might be," he said. His heart leaped. Though he didn't detect any great chakra in that direction, Naruto was definitely the type to leave such heavy damage in his wake when he was angry. This might put them on the right trail.

"Let's go," he ordered.

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei. Tenten should be there already; she went ahead to investigate it beforehand."

Together, Lee and Kakashi hurried towards the source of the smoke. Within two minutes, they found it.

"A... Amazing," Lee said, surveying the smoldering hole in the forest and the burnt foliage surrounding it.

Kakashi had to agree that it was impressive. No explosive device that he knew of had made it; only the collision of two powerful, conflicting chakras could make such a perfectly round, perfectly clean crater, and only the hottest of unnatural fires could cause the minerals in the soil to melt into slag as some patches of the ground had. What was terribly nerve-wracking, however, was the manner in which the trees around its edge seemed to have been burned partly and then had their fire quenched, and yet there was no sign of water anywhere.

_Naruto never learned any jutsu to peel flames from their fuel, as far as I know,_ Kakashi thought nervously. _This could be bad... Sasuke, how powerful have you become?_

"Kakashi-sensei, Lee!" called a female voice. Looking around, Kakashi saw Tenten crossing the crater towards them, urgency plastered across her face.

Turning to face his subordinate, Kakashi asked, "What did you find, Tenten?"

"It's Sakura-san," Tenten said. The tone of her voice promised bad news. "I've found her, over there in the trees. She's not..."

She didn't finish her sentence. Lee had taken off in the direction she had pointed the second she had raised her hand, and Kakashi was right behind him as soon as she had finished the word, "trees."

"Hey," she called, starting after them in frustration, "Wait up!"

Lee saw Sakura first. The sight of the pink-haired medical ninja lying on her side at the base of a tree, bruised, bleeding, and crumpled blinded him to everything else. He forgot that he was a shinobi charged with a mission, and acted completely on impulse.

"Sakura-san!" he shouted. He ran to her and knelt by her side, rolling her over onto her back.

"Don't touch her!" Kakashi yelled. "You could make her injuries more serious!" He was no medical ninja, but Kakashi knew the concepts of first aid.

Lee didn't hear him, but he did see Sakura wince painfully, and snatched his hands away from her. He stared at her, eyes full of worry.

"Sakura-san, what did this to you?" he asked in a pained whisper.

"Whatever it was, Lee," said Kakashi, grabbing the young man's shoulder, "Is nothing you need to concern yourself with. I have orders for you, and I expect you to follow them as a loyal ninja should. Is that clear?"

The green-clad Chuunin tensed beneath Kakashi's hand. A short silence passed between them as Lee steadied himself.

"I know my duty, Kakashi-sensei," he said quietly. "I will obey your commands. But I cannot let this stand. When this mission is through, I will..."

"Enough, Lee," Kakashi interrupted. "I need you to find Naruto's trail and follow it, now. Mark your route as you go. I'll tend Sakura as best as I can, mark her position for the medical team, and then catch up with you."

Lee was off like a bullet.

"Tenten."

The girl turned from watching her teammate zoom around the crater and faced Kakashi.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Go to the village and get help. Bring a medical team for Sakura and as many fresh, well-armed ninja as you can. Hurry!"

"Hai!" Tenten rushed away towards the lights of the village.

The masked Jounin did not watch her go. He went to work on his injured subordinate, checking her heartbeat and respiration, testing for broken bones, and stopping the flow of blood from those wounds that were still open. He worked as gently as possible, trying his hardest not to wake his old student up and cause her more pain.

"Ka..." she whispered suddenly. Her voice was weak, haggard.

"Rest, Sakura," Kakashi said. "You'll be all right now. Everything will be fine."

"Kakashi... sensei," Sakura grated. Her breathing brought her unimaginable pain, but she fought to spoke in spite of it.

"You really shouldn't be trying to speak," Kakashi said. He was applying pressure to a pressure point above her left forearm, cutting off circulation to a jagged cut midway between her elbow and her wrist.

Sakura continued anyway. "I found... them," she said. "I healed Naruto's shoulder. We fought. I... wasn't strong enough. Sasuke-kun..."

Kakashi was pained. So it was really Sasuke who had done it after all...

"I wanted to... fight it out to the end," Sakura continued. "Wanted... to stop him myself, by... by my own power. But I acted rashly, against your orders... he saw an invitation, and took it... He was too strong, too fast for me. You... were right. I shouldn't have gone without you."

She labored hard to tell her tale, desperately trying to get her message to her commander. Coughing up blood, she looked up into Kakashi's uncovered eye, seeking a response. It dawned on the masked Jounin, suddenly, what it was that she wanted from him.

"You're forgiven, Sakura," he said.

Sakura nodded, satisfied.

"Find Naruto," she said. "He used... the Kyuubi's chakra. Dangerous for both of them."

Kakashi understood well what she meant by that. Applying the last of the bandages in his first aid pouch, he rose from the forest floor and looked around the crater. He found one of Lee's flares, marking the path he had taken from the area. He lit two flares of his own, and set one on either side of Sakura.

"Don't worry, Sakura," he said. "We'll find them. They won't have gone too far, I think."

Satisfied that he had done all that he could here, he followed after Lee's trail.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kakashi caught up to Lee surprisingly quickly. Even more surprising was the company that he found Lee in.

"Where did these two come from?" he asked.

"Oh, there you are, Kakashi-sensei!" said Lee. "I was just about to radio to you. Hanabi-san and Akamaru-kun say that they have just come from Naruto-kun's battle! And the opponent that he faces is..."

"Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi finished. "I know."

"Oh! You knew all along?" Lee looked somewhat hurt that Kakashi hadn't told him.

Kakashi ignored him. He addressed Hanabi instead.

"How far away are they?" he asked.

"We've been running for about seven minutes, now," replied the young Hyuuga. Her front was spattered with blood, and her eyes were full of fear, but she seemed physically okay. Kakashi could feel the inkling of a large chakra in the distance, confirming his suspicion that they were close.

"What is their condition?"

Hanabi's answer was slow and had an undertone of awe to it. Clearly, she had been treated to quite an ordeal.

"They... they're both alive," she said. "Though they both look like they've had it rough. One of them, the blond one with the red chakra, he took a heavy blow in his shoulder saving my life, but that was healing up on its own when I left. The other one has a bad, circular wound in his side, but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down much. Both of them have amazing power... I hope my sister is all right."

"Your sister?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Getting another young person involved was not good...

"Hyuuga Hinata," Hanabi clarified. "She stayed behind to help the blond guy."

This was an interesting development, and the repercussions could be either very good or very bad. Either way, Kakashi knew that there was no time to stand around. It had now been nine minutes since this girl had left on the dog. It would take him and Lee at least six minutes to reach the spot that they had been in, and every minute they wasted was another minute that Sasuke had to run.

"Lee," he ordered, "We're going."

"Hai!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hinata had only a vague idea what to expect from the Synchronization Jutsu. She had listened to Naruto talk about it many nights ago, but he hadn't given her a wealth of information about the technique. She knew that it involved allowing the Ghostly Arms to penetrate the tenketsus, thus linking the chakra coil systems of two people. She remembered that he had said it pooled the chakra of both of the Synchronized parties, and allowed each to perceive the world through the senses of the other. She had expected to see through Naruto's eyes and hear through his ears as one might be able to see and hear a film.

This was far more than she expected, and possibly even more than she thought she could handle. She didn't just perceive through Naruto's senses; Naruto's senses became _hers._ She could not only see through his blue eyes, but she could understand everything that she saw instantly and vividly, as if they were her own. The same instantaneous and detailed understanding was true for all the sensory input. And even more impressive was the fact that none of it confused the input from her own senses; there was no double-vision. Somehow, her brain processed both sets of information fluently at the same time, and fed it to her consciousness without any clashing at all.

There was more. Hinata found that she could feel Naruto's reaction to the information he received as well. As he saw Sasuke trapped in his vice-like grip, Hinata felt his resurging confidence, the premature triumph. It was not mind-reading; she could not hear his actual thoughts. However, she felt his emotions and his motivations, and was nearly overwhelmed by them. It was like being joined at the soul with him.

And the power...

In her early years, when she had looked at Naruto, she had felt courage—a reaction that persisted to this day.

Now, with the enormous chakra flowing between them, a mix of his, hers, and Kyuubi's, Hinata didn't just feel courage; she also felt confidence and power the like of which she had never felt before. She was incredibly strong, she could fight the world and win, she could do everything!

The darkness of Sasuke's genjutsu lifted, and the moon and stars returned to their rightful home.

"Hinata!" Naruto called. She was so immersed in her new power that she almost didn't hear him. But she looked at him again, and listened.

"Hinata, I've got him," he yelled. "Let's take this bastard down quick so we can drag him home and start celebrating!"

Quick? With all the chakra swirling around her and inside her, red chakra twisting together with blue, Hinata thought it should only take half a heartbeat.

"Okay, Naruto-kun!"

The tiredness that had claimed her after she had aided the Aburame Clan was gone, vanished. Her legs carried her faster than the wind toward her target. In her palm, the Jyuuken bolt of red and blue glimmered visibly, as though anxious to be unleashed. The Sharingan eyes of the captive Uchiha widened in shock and fear at the approach of this unexpected, massive threat.

Sasuke did not easily give up, however. Abruptly, he stopped trying to pull his arm free, dug his feet into the ground, grabbed hold of Naruto's shoulder with his free arm and—with aid from his powerfully flapping mutant wing—twisted, putting Naruto's back between him and the oncoming Jyuuken. He did so in hopes of balking Hinata.

For a moment, Hinata was daunted, and was about to slow herself down out of fear of hitting Sasuke's new human shield. However, the Synchronization told her that Naruto was not daunted, but amused—she could even imagine him laughing. She guessed that he had something in mind, and kept running towards them.

Her intuition served her well; Naruto grabbed Sasuke under the arms with two of his tails and gripped his legs with two more, then let himself fall backward towards the ground. As he fell, he let go of Sasuke's arm and flung him over his head, towards Hinata. The Uchiha went sailing towards the Hyuuga heiress, whose lethal palm strike was held ready.

Knowing that that strike could end his ambitions for good, Sasuke flapped hard with his hand-like "wings" in an effort to fly over Hinata rather than straight toward her. He had surprising success, raising his altitude just out of reach of her arm. He glided over her head with a satisfied chuckle.

Hinata felt anger rise in her, multiplied by Naruto's frustration at his escape. This man had hurt Naruto physically and emotionally, and she wasn't just going to let him fly away unscathed and laughing. She turned to face his retreating back, crossed her arms, and focused chakra into her palms, readying retribution.

The jutsu that she was preparing was meant as a parrying technique, twin short bursts of highly focused chakra lancing out from her palms to cut down an incoming attack. It was a single-target variation of the Shugo Hakke technique, and normally it could destroy or severely damage a weapon or projectile aimed at her using minimal chakra.

Hinata didn't see any need to use minimal chakra; she had almost too much of it anyway. Her palms blazed with flashing red and blue, concentrating so much chakra that it almost burned her hand. Taking aim at the Uchiha, she let off her attack just as he landed on a low tree branch.

"**Hakke Nibai Kirite!" **(Eight Trigams Twin Cutter)

Sasuke felt the enormous chakra coming, and turned his head, but it was far too late.

Uncrossing her arms, Hinata swung her twin lances of chakra at Sasuke's exposed back. Glowing bright purple, they crossed at the region of his spine, slicing through the base of his "wings" and cutting a deep red "X" between his shoulder blades. Sasuke howled in terrible pain, feeling as though he'd been slashed by a sword—and looking like it, too. The hideous webbed hands fell to the forest floor and crumbled into dust.

"All right!" Naruto cheered. "You got him, Hinata!"

Sasuke turned and glared at them both.

_Whatever Naruto did, _he thought, _they've both become more powerful. Especially the girl there. If I'm not careful, she could be the end of me. And the longer I stay in this form, the less time I have... I have to take her out now if I want to win._

Sasuke drew in a deep breath and flipped through a complicated set of hand seals as he leaped from the branch towards Naruto. He aimed his shot at the side of Naruto that was facing Hinata, and as he hit the ground, he let his breath out.

"**Raiton: Kasenkou no Jutsu!" **(Lightning Style: Fire Flash Technique)

Naruto expected fire from him, but what emerged from Sasuke's open mouth was not flame, but a blast of white lightning. It crackled through the air with such intensity, however, that the oxygen in the atmosphere around it caught fire. The blast of electricity and conflagration arced towards the blond's side, and Naruto was barely able to leap away from it untouched. It struck the ground instead, hurling chunks of earth in all directions.

Yet Sasuke had not been aiming to hit Naruto; he had been trying to steer him away from his partner, and aiming slightly between them had been enough to make his old teammate run where he wanted him to. For a few moments, Sasuke had Hinata all to himself, and he planned on taking advantage of it.

He found, to his great chagrin, that Hinata was not an easy target as he'd thought she would be. The red chakra of Kyuubi, combined with the blue from both Naruto and herself, was a potent force, and she was able to keep up with him. With both the Reiude and the Byakugan warning her, she easily knew her peril when Sasuke changed the direction of his charge and sped towards her. Sasuke's first lighting-fast punch was subtly deflected an inch to the side of her head by her well-practiced open hand. His follow-up blow, aimed at her stomach, was likewise parried, and then it was her turn to take a shot at him.

As Sasuke twisted out of the way of the Jyuuken bolt coming at his chest, he marveled at its power. He'd heard many times about the skills of the Hyuuga Clan, supposedly distant relatives of the Uchiha. It was said that even a glancing blow could cause terrible internal damage, and this was with their normal chakra. The three-part chakra that she was using now could likely shred his intestines or shatter his heart. Their Byakugan saw in all directions simultaneously, and could pierce the toughest of illusions. To try a hypnotism technique with the Sharingan would be useless.

Dropping to the ground on one leg and launching a spinning kick, which Hinata nimbly avoided, Sasuke wondered how he might outsmart this foe. Her strength and speed were less than his, but she was more than able to protect herself and still try a shot against him occasionally. But while he tried to whittle down her defenses, Naruto was coming to rejoin the fight. How could he turn this in his favor?

While avoiding a pair of kunai from Naruto and another Jyuuken from Hinata simultaneously, an idea came to him. As Naruto closed to within taijutsu range, Sasuke maneuvered himself so that Naruto was coming at him directly from his left side. He saw the blond coming in for a low, sliding kick to try to take out his legs, while Hinata prepared to bring a Jyuuken to his chest.

_Perfect, _ he thought.

Watching the incoming Jyuuken attack with the Sharingan, he took in every aspect of it; how much chakra was used in it, where, exactly, in his body that that it was aimed, and how that chakra was set up to be shot directly into the inner systems. The red eyes analyzed the whole technique in a split second. Smiling, Sasuke twisted off his feet and into the air, causing the Jyuuken to pass just over him. He felt the immense power of it graze the skin of his chest and face, tingling painfully.

Then, without warning, he twisted in mid-leap, facing downward at Naruto, who was sliding under him with a look of surprise on his face. As the blond's abdomen passed beneath his right hand, the image of the Hyuuga girl's attack flashed in his head. He brought his own palm down hard on Naruto's chest, delivering a bolt of black chakra into his lungs.

Naruto's slide turned into a tumble as he lost his coordination, and when he skidded to a stop, he was barely able to get onto one knee as he hacked up bright red blood.

Hinata regarded Sasuke with awe and horror. The Uchiha had used the Sharingan to copy the Jyuuken.

Sasuke was far from triumphant, though. He was perturbed. _That shot should have killed him, _he thought. _I copied it perfectly—angle, targeting, power, flow... everything. But he's still alive, where I would probably be dead. _

He watched as Naruto tried to get up, and then was forced to return to his knees as another spasm convulsed him. _Well, at least he seems to be out of commission for a while. I can take out this Hyuuga now, and finish him after. _

Turning to the stunned Hinata and forming a blackened Chidori in his hand, he said, "Well, I suppose it's just you and me now. Shall we end it quickly?"

Hinata showed no fear. She relaxed back into her Jyuuken stance and regarded him coldly.

"You may have tricked us once," she said, "But Naruto-kun hasn't given up, and neither will I! I'll fight you as long as I have to!"

Sasuke frowned. "Suit yourself." Yet, even as he came rushing at her, he knew something was wrong. The lighting in his hand seemed duller and lesser than it should have been, though he was imbuing it with the same amount of chakra.

He came at full speed, but Hinata's speed, enhanced by the Synchronization, was sufficient to both duck under the initial strike, prodding at his arm to alter its course, and dodge the back-handed afterswipe that followed it. It nicked her arm as she leaped off to the side, but it did not severely injure her at all.

_Even that grazing blow should have cut clean to the bone, but she only got a tiny cut from it?_

Suddenly, the Chidori in his hand began to flicker weakly. _What's going on? I'm feeding the normal amount of chakra into it, but it's fading..._

Then it dawned on him. _Those times when she was deflecting my attacks..._ He recalled the brief taijutsu exchange that the two of them had before Naruto had fallen victim to the copied Jyuuken. Hinata had been lightly pushing away his blows with her hands, using just enough force to keep him from striking her and no more. Often, she would use only one or two fingers...

"You did something to my arms," Sasuke accused. "My chakra doesn't run as strongly through them anymore. That's why Naruto didn't die, and why my Chidori lost its power."

From off to his side, he heard Naruto chuckling. The blond had finally managed to stand up again.

"If you had watched any Hyuuga fight before," Naruto said, "You'd know about that already. Hinata's defense wasn't just about knocking your punches away; it was about pressing your tenketsus and reducing your chakra flow. Didn't Orochimaru tell you about that? Or were you too wrapped up in your brother to take any interest?"

Sasuke grit his teeth. It was true; he had never watched a Hyuuga in combat, and he had never thought that he would need to. And now, most of his techniques were so reduced in power as to be useless, and he had been using his cursed seal for far longer than was healthy; it was beginning to pain him. He saw that he would never beat them both at this point, at least not before Konoha's rescue teams arrived. Anger consumed him.

Naruto stayed on his feet, but he wasn't done coughing. As his fresh spasm consumed him, Sasuke made his last ditch effort.

"Your girl defeated me, Naruto," he said, "But I won't be dying alone!"

His scream was punctuated in flame. From out of his open mouth shot a long, serpentine tongue of flame, which snaked towards Naruto's vulnerable body faster than either the injured Naruto or the distant Hinata could react. It curled around Naruto's convulsing throat and snapped tight.

Naruto's cough turned into a howl of agony as the python-like blaze simultaneously squeezed and burned his neck. Sasuke put nearly all of his waning power into it, seeking to end the blond's life as quickly as possible, before his own body collapsed from the pain of the self-damaging cursed seal and its injuries.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled. She not only witnessed Naruto's terrible pain, but felt it for herself. With a vengeful cry, she rushed to put an end to it.

The beaten Sasuke would not be denied Naruto's death, however. Though chakra flow to his arms had been cut, his legs worked just fine. He poured lightning into his feet and repelled the charging Hyuuga with a spinning double-kick, the Chidori Nagashi lashing out and stinging her with full force—one foot in the abdomen, the other in her arm. She flew backwards, and Naruto's torment continued.

Naruto was rapidly losing his strength. Sasuke was sparing nothing to make sure that he died. There was no way that he could break free. He felt the impact of Sasuke's feet on Hinata's body, and felt her own strength start to fade. A twinge of guilt filled his heart—he had vowed to win for her sake and everyone else's, and now they were both going to fail. All his fault, and nothing he could do! Naruto quailed beneath the burning snake-tongue, despairing the loss that he was suffering. He wished that the Synch technique would gift him with telepathy, so that he could apologize to her...

The Synch! There _was _something he could do, he realized. He wrestled his oxygen-starved brain back into focus, and applied his will across the strands of the Reiude. As Sasuke concentrated his remaining power on Naruto, Naruto concentrated his upon Hinata, flooding her injured system with power. He felt her strength return to her.

_There, Hinata, _he thought as his consciousness fled him, _You live. Kick his sorry ass for me..._

Sasuke saw Naruto go limp, and squeezed harder, making certain that he would not wake up again. All his will was upon the unconscious blond; he knew he was not going to come out of this alive, and no longer cared, so long as he took another to hell with him.

Then, for a moment, his concentration was broken as pain wracked his body as the cursed seal that was enabling him to destroy his best friend also eroded his own body. It was in this moment that Hinata struck.

"**Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho!"**

Sasuke, reeling in pain from his self-erosion, had no defense. In seconds, Hinata's flying fingers shut down all of his chakra. The tongue of flame around Naruto's neck fizzled out of existence, and the Uchiha avenger fell onto his face. As he hit the ground, the cursed seal withdrew from his wretched form, unable to feed any more power or pain to its victim. Oozing blood from the slashes on his back and from the spiral wound in his side, burned internally by his own black power, and unable to channel any chakra at all, Sasuke's mind went black.

Hinata was the only one still standing. Clutching her Chidori-blasted stomach and left arm, she stepped over the unmoving form of her fallen opponent, and walked, wobbling slightly, to join the fallen blond. Reaching him, she knelt by his side and inspected his wracked body.

Naruto was in bad shape. This day had been one of the most draining of his life; in less than twenty-four hours, he had taken the Caged Bird seal, escaped a horde of angry Hyuuga, fought off a member of the dreaded Akatsuki organization, and battled to the death with his long-lost friend and rival. His chakra was almost entirely depleted, his body was covered in cuts and bruises and scrapes, and his neck was badly burned.

But Hinata put her good hand over his chest, and felt a pulse. It was strong, triumphantly pounding after surviving its brush with death. The Hyuuga smiled. She certainly had picked a stubborn man.

"'Until I bring Sasuke back, I can never die,' you said," she murmured. "Naruto-kun, you kept your promise, like you always do. One more reason..."

She stroked his head tenderly, running her bloody hand through his filthy blond hair. "One more reason why I love you."

In her mind, she felt a pang of regret. She had never said those words when he was awake. The glorious days when Naruto had been her bodyguard came back to her. Not once had she been able to express her long-buried feelings to him. If her natural shyness hadn't been stopping her, then fear of her Clan discovering her had.

Hinata regarded Naruto sleeping peacefully before her. "Tonight, though," she said, "I took a step forward. When all of this is over, Naruto-kun, I will take another. I promise you that, and like you, I keep my promises. After all that you have done for me, you deserve nothing less."

She sat with him for two minutes that stretched into two millenniums.

Then, as the moon set and the first glimmers of day began to lighten the eastern horizon, she heard voices.

"Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun! Hinata-san!"

Hatake Kakashi and Rock Lee emerged from the forest. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hinata-san, you're alive! Neji and your sister will be pleased," said Lee.

"Thank you, Lee-kun," Hinata said.

Kakashi fixed Hinata in his one-eyed gaze. "And the other two?" he asked her.

"They are both alive," Hinata told him.

Kakashi nodded. "Good. Lee, you go back the way we came. Find the medical team, and bring them here. I'll keep watch here."

Lee straightened. With a salute and a wink at Hinata, he said, "Hai, Kakashi-sensei!" and was gone.

Kakashi watched him go, then sighed, turning his gaze to the two unconscious boys.

"Thank you," he whispered to no one, "For letting me see them both again."

Hinata heard him mumbling.

"Did you say something, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked.

"Nothing," Kakashi said, turning his eye east.

Together, he and Hinata warded the exhausted combatants and watched the sun come up. The night of blood was over, the day of judgment imminent. Behind them lay pain, ahead of them uncertainty. For now, though, each of them could only rest their aching bodies and give silent thanks to whatever gods they believed in that they and their loved were alive.

To think of anything else was too tiresome on already-weary souls.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO End Chapter Twenty-Seven OoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** That was unbelievably hard to write. I was up until six in the morning finishing the thing. And I'm incredibly nervous about your reactions to it. Some of you will undoubtedly hate me or lose interest because one person or the other did not die, or at least did not appear to die. Others might think the ending to this chapter was weak. If so, I blame it on the poor effectiveness of my energy drink.

I await reviews with my fingers crossed. Please don't kill me, please don't kill me...


	31. C28: The New Purpose

**A/N: **It seems that we have a new record for most reviews in a single chapter. :) 49 for Chapter Twenty-Seven. Previous record was 30 for chapter Twenty.

I'm working on a little video project entitled "The Making of Lacking Sight." When it is complete, I will post it on youtube and put the link in another chapter.

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The New Purpose  
**

Konoha saw the mid-afternoon sun for the first time in many days. It shone overhead, the giver of light, warmth, and hope in the aftermath of the previous night's blood bath. There was not a soul in the whole of the village that was not glad to see it. All of the streets in the center of town were full of survivors, praising their gods, their Hokage, and even the Suna shinobi, whom they had only three years ago cursed as they now cursed the ninja of the Rock.

The village was a horrible mess. Everywhere, the rubble of collapsed buildings and exploded pathways obstructed the movements of the medical teams, and craters full of half-day old bodies balked the queasier members of the cleanup crews. Fire suppression teams were working themselves to exhaustion as they contained one conflagration only to have another rekindle itself halfway across the village. Commerce was effectively halted. Shinobi were living on soldier pills or on nothing at all, allowing the civilians and the wounded to eat the limited stores of food that had not been lost. Many people grieved for lost friends and relatives.

But Konoha was nowhere near as weakened as it had been three years previously. The property damage affected less than thirty percent of the village, the main enemy forces having gone straight for the most valuable targets and been halted there. Civilian casualties were limited almost expressly to those who had been in the path of the initial explosive entry, the brave and proud shinobi having protected them to the end even at the cost of their lives.

Indeed, the shinobi themselves suffered the greatest loss; nearly one-fifth of their number had lost their lives in the vicious onslaught, and another one-fourth had been gravely injured. Due to the timely arrival of the ninja of the Sand, however, none of the enemy had escaped alive, and the destruction was halted within three hours of its beginning.

Because of the great number of injuries, the main hospital building was unimaginably crowded. Yet, Kakashi had done well for his former students and their friend. He had commandeered a room for just the three of them. Though the Florence Nightengales had had some difficulty squeezing a third bed into the two-patient room, Lee had volunteered his assistance, and the task was accomplished to the masked Jounin's liking fairly quickly.

Hinata counted herself lucky when the bright sun glared through the open window and woke her. She had slept peacefully for eight hours, judging by the clock on the wall, and her injuries did not pain her very badly as she sat up in her hospital bed. Before she had succumbed to sleep earlier, she had been told that her family survived; she would not have to greive for the loss of her father, her sister, or Haruka. Kiba was one room adjacent to theirs and in stable condition, Akamaru standing faithful watch at the door. All of her precious people had survived, and she herself was in excellent shape.

"Thank goodness," she breathed to herself. Her heart, despite the strains of the previous day and night, was at peace.

"So, you're awake too?"

Hinata turned to look at the bed next to hers. Sakura was also awake and sitting up. Her torso was swathed in immobilizing bandages beneath the hospital gown, protecting her multiple broken ribs. Her left forearm was also in a large cast. Several layers of gauze covered a nasty cut on the left side of her face. In spite of what Hinata thought must have been tremendously painful injuries, the pink-haired medic was upright and speaking in a normal tone of voice. Her green eyes expressed some sadness, but the Hyuuga girl could detect no wince of physical pain at all.

Hinata smiled warmly at her. "You're very stoic, Sakura-chan. If it were me, I would probably still be flat on my back."

Sakura returned the smile half-heartedly. "Maybe," she said. "But then again, you would never let this happen to you. There's no force on earth that can crack your defense when you're serious..."

The Hyuuga girl detected something familiar in her friend's voice. It was something that she herself had often felt in the past.

"It... I don't think it was your fault, Sakura-chan," she said gently. "I understand. It is difficult to stand opposite a loved one and fight with your heart in it..."

She stopped. Sakura's smile had fallen away.

"That isn't it, Hinata-chan," Sakura said. "My heart _was _in it. I fought him with all of the skill and power I had. I was ready to use lethal force if I had to."

The girl's unbandaged hand clenched hard at the bedsheets, wringing them in its grip. Her face was strained; she was working hard to keep it from blooming into a mask of misery.

"And even with all of that," she finished, "I still wasn't able to stop him. Naruto had to save me again."

Sakura's gaze turned from her dark-haired friend to her teammate in the bed beside her. The blond boy was fast asleep, exhausted from his efforts. Yesterday had quite possibly been the most taxing day of his life. He had survived the engraving of the Caged Bird seal, an assassination attempt by Akatsuki, an inner struggle with the Bijyuu inside of him, and the near-apocalyptic battle with his arch rival. His chakra had been almost entirely depleted. Yet, rest and the restorative powers of demonic chakra were curing him at the usual accelerated rate; Sakura's analytical surgeon's eyes told her that he would be fully healed within another forty-eight hours.

"Naruto was the only one who could even keep up with him," she went on. "Naruto the idiot, the dead-last, the pervert... I never gave him full credit for his good qualities. You did, Hinata... and in the end it was you who went with him and ended it. Not me."

Hinata's heart went out to her friend. She knew what it was like to feel useless. She would not wish it on anyone else. Leaning towards her, she spoke in quiet, even tones.

"It's a little ironic, isn't it?" she asked. Sakura's head rotated back her way. A confused expression was on her face. Seeing that she had her attention, Hinata continued.

"For the last three years, it was always _you _was counseling _me_. I was the one who constantly needed to be reminded of her own self-worth. It was me who was uncertain of whether or not I would be able to do things differently. You were the strong one, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's expression shifted as memories resurfaced in her brain. She found herself reliving the times that she had discovered Hinata battling with self-doubt at Ichiraku's or some other place.

"In those times, your words would always bring me back to myself," Hinata said. "You would speak wisely—sometimes from your own experience—and I would remember my own ability, remember why I was trying so hard. I'll return some of that wisdom to you now, Sakura-chan.

"If you keep dwelling on your past mistakes, you'll drown in your own tears."

Sakura's pale face brightened. She remembered that one; it was the first one she had used, when Hinata had been sad over having been too shy to bid Naruto farewell. The two of them had started to become much greater friends after that.

"Hinata-chan..." she began.

"You aren't the only one who is troubled," said Hinata, cutting her off. "Naruto-kun and I managed to stop him, but Sasuke-san did not come peacefully. He..." she swallowed hard at the memory, and peered across Sakura's bed at the blond to reassure herself.

"He nearly killed Naruto-kun, even when he knew that he had been defeated. He is still dangerous, Sakura-chan. I keep worrying that either he will escape and try to finish what he began, or that Naruto-kun, who wants so badly to make him see reason, will do something terribly rash..."

_Something rash? _Sakura thought. _Now that I think about it, Naruto does tend to go to extremes when he tries to reform people. I've heard the stories from Tsunade-sama. What if Naruto tries to earn Sasuke-kun's trust by setting him free? Or what if he makes some ridiculous self-sacrificing bargain? It's possible..._

"When you said that if anyone could stop Sasuke-san, it was Naruto-kun, you were right," Hinata said. "But I think that the best bet to reform him safely is you, Sakura-chan. You were wise enough to turn my mood around when my faith slipped... you should be able to do something to help your teammate, too. And if you can't, then you can at least help to talk Naruto-kun out of making any horrible mistakes."

Sakura stared at her friend for a long moment. Then, a magical change came over her; color returned to her skin, and the sadness left her eyes, replaced by renewed determination. Her mind had been made up. Against the pain of her injuries, she got out of the bed. Her legs were fine, and she was able to stand easily.

Hinata questioned her with her pearl eyes. "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura turned her back and began walking to the locker on the other side of the room, where her clothes were.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," she said over her shoulder. "I know what I have to do now. Even if I couldn't do things exactly as I wanted to, there's still a way that I can help."

She crossed to the adjoining bathroom and disappeared into it. She emerged fully dressed, walking upright and proud. She regarded Hinata with kind, grateful eyes and a sense of purpose.

"You should stay here and look after Naruto," she said. "Even if he has that demon in him to speed up his recovery, he'll still be out of it for a while. Make sure he heals properly, and don't let him leave until Tsunade-sama clears him. I'm sure he'll listen to you."

Hinata nodded. "Of course."

Sakura nodded in kind, glanced at Naruto briefly, then walked out of the room. Hinata was left alone with Naruto.

Climbing out of her own bed, she took a chair from the other side of the room and sat down at his side. She would watch over him while he slept, and be the first thing that he saw when he awoke. Looking at his serene face, she could see that his sleep was sound and untroubled.

_Good,_ she thought. _Heaven knows that he needs it._

She settled herself back in the chair and listened to the sounds of the busy hospital around her. Their floor was fairly quiet; agonized screaming and moaning was very infrequent, for which she was grateful. In the next room, she could hear Akamaru's happy bark as Kiba began to stir. The dog owner greeted his beast with a tired, broken voice, but he was not laboring to breathe and did not vocalize his pains.

_My team is very lucky,_ she thought. _All of us came out alive, and we will meet again to train together as soon as we are all well, which won't be long. The medical staff will treat us well because we are heroes. But Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun..._

Hinata looked down at Naruto again, and gave a sad smile.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, reaching out to put a tender hand on his brow, "I feel so badly for you. Sasuke-san is a traitor, a dangerous criminal; your team may never truly be together again. It's going to be so hard on you..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Uchiha Sasuke had spent half of his life hating his older brother. This hatred had led him to abandon any hope for his future and seek vengeance for his past. The third anniversary of that fateful day was drawing ever nearer, only weeks away. He had spent those three years gaining strength in whatever dark or evil art that suited his needs. He did so because he believed that the way Konoha shinobi did things—with peace and stability as the ultimate goal—was too inherently weak for the purposes of revenge, especially against Uchiha Itachi.

Yet, as he had found out, Konoha's way of doing things had been perfectly sufficient to stomp him into the dirt, even after all of his training in Orochimaru's blacker methods. If he had known this from the start, he wouldn't have been so surprised that he was now strapped into a chair in a sealed ANBU interrogation chamber, his wounds only treated enough to keep him alive, with intravenous tubes stuck into his arm for the purpose of delivering not only life-preserving nutrients, but also whatever drugs the interrogator might later want to use. He could see the vials of numerous sinister-looking fluids resting in a rack on the far wall, near an assortment of painful-looking metal instruments.

"He's awake," announced an authoritative voice. It belonged to a masked ANBU standing to Sasuke's right. "Go get Ibiki-sama and Tsunade-sama, quickly. They will want to begin immediately."

"Hai, sempai," said one of the ANBU by the door. He hurried out to execute his orders.

Gritting his teeth against the extreme soreness and pain that he felt, Sasuke tested his restraints. They were expertly done; he might have been able to free himself if he were at the height of his power, but at the moment, he was pitifully weak, out of chakra, and out of luck.

"Don't bother," said his solemn companion. "Even if you were to escape the chair restraints, we have orders to use lethal force in order to subdue you... and in your state, you wouldn't make it far."

The young Uchiha didn't speak. Talking to this peon would be a waste of time; there would be no way to use an ANBU to his advantage, and he wouldn't be able to wheedle information out of him either. He sat in stony silence, awaiting the arrival of the people who actually meant something.

They arrived soon enough. Morino Ibiki held the door for the Hokage, who strode into the chamber haughtily and powerfully. Her justice rage was palpable beneath her mask of authoritative calm, and all knew that if the Uchiha traitor wasn't very, very lucky, he was very likely doomed already. The door of the chamber closed. Tsunade began.

"Well, well," she said. "Uchiha Sasuke. I see Naruto did quite the job on you, as expected. You were incredibly lucky to survive the night—thanks in no small part to me. You had better be grateful that I was able to stomach the stench that Orochimaru left on you, and that your head is more valuable on your shoulders than on a pike. You can't torture information from a head on a pike."

Sasuke glared at her, allowing her to have her tirade while making it clear that he really didn't give a damn. He'd endured torture resistance practice, administered by Orochimaru himself, and Orochimaru had not been a kind instructor. He could take whatever she could dish out.

Tsunade ignored him, continuing to speak. "Naruto will come out of the hospital with a hero's fanfare. You, meanwhile, will entertain Ibiki until he has been sated, and then if you have no more information to give us, you'll be lucky if you're killed quickly rather than kept alive as his practice subject for the rest of your life..."

"If you wanted information," Sasuke spat, "You could have asked your 'colleague,' Danzou. He's been the intelligence link between Orochimaru and Konoha for months."

Tsunade's visage did not soften. "Danzou was killed in your force's raid on the Village Council," she said. "Even if we'd known about his involvement—and believe me, I did suspect—we couldn't ask him anything now."

"You mean he didn't run?" Sasuke said, his face a mask of dispassionate surprise.

"Run?" Tsunade asked.

"I thought he would have gotten scared and fled the village after I killed his subordinate, Sai. Thinking about it, though, he might have expected me to, the kid was so annoying..."

This made Tsunade think. What was Sasuke getting at? Had he killed the boy out of mere annoyance, or had he meant to warn Danzou? If he had meant the latter, why would Danzou's life be useful to him? With any other prisoner she might have dismissed such wondering, but Uchiha Sasuke was different; everything he said had to be taken seriously and analyzed thoroughly, because every word might hold a clue about Orochimaru or Akatsuki. Tsunade opened her mouth, intending to ask more.

Sudden noise from outside distracted her. There was yelling, pained yelping, and muffled thudding and thumping. Turning from Sasuke and narrowing her brow in irritation, she began to walk towards the door.

"What in the name of..."

The door burst open. From the hallway came a blur of motion that flowed into the chamber almost faster than a human eye could see. It's trajectory was aimed directly at Uchiha Sasuke. The guard at the chair's side reacted quickly enough, however, and restrained the intruder by its arms. The blur resolved into a woman with dark hair tied back in a long braid, intensely burning white eyes, and an elegant seal on her forehead that gleamed with yellow and blue luminescence. Her lips were curled back in a savage expression of loathing, and she fought the guard's grip relentlessly, trying with all her might to reach Sasuke and—from the looks of it—tear his heart out.

"Where did they take him?" the woman snarled.

Sasuke regarded her with wide eyes. _Her aura is... incredibly intense! Who is she?_

"Haruka-san," cried one of the ANBU pleadingly, "Please, stop! You should not be here..."

The woman ignored him. She kept fighting her captor's grip, striving to free herself with all of her might. She kept her eyes fixed on Sasuke, eyes that emitted rays of pure hate.

"Where?" she screamed at him. "Where did your thugs carry Keisuke off to? Talk, damn you!"

Her struggling finally overpowered the guard, and she wrested herself out of his grip and flung herself at Sasuke. Her open palm was coiled by her side, prepared to shove right into his chest. Sasuke could feel power coming from that palm, power magnified by a rage the like of which he had only ever seen before in Naruto. For a fraction of a second, he felt that power coming straight for his heart, and knew that he faced death.

Then the woman's advance halted as Tsunade grabbed her shoulder, stopping her one-handed. The deadly palm was poised a mere inch from Sasuke's left breast. The woman continued to struggle.

"Let go of me, Tsunade-sama!" she yelled. "Let me have... Argh!"

Her sentence was ended prematurely in a howl of pain as Tsunade squeezed her collarbone with her monstrous strength. The pressure was agonizing. If the Hokage squeezed any harder, the bone would snap.

"Hyuuga Haruka!" Tsunade snapped. Her face was livid with anger. "You have not been ordered to carry out aggressive interrogation. That duty has been assigned to Morino Ibiki and the ANBU in his command. I command you, stand down or be punished!"

Haruka's struggles ceased. She stood stock-still, fists at her sides, glaring daggers at Sasuke, but she no longer shouted, and did not try to break free.

Sasuke was perplexed. _Orochimaru had Keisuke of the Grave taken as well?_ he thought. _If he had me after Naruto already, why do that? He only needs one subject... unless he expected me to fail? _The thought that his new master would abandon him to be devoured by the Leaf sent the spark of anger coursing through him.

Then he calmed. _No, he wouldn't; he needs my body. He wouldn't give me up easily, especially not so close to the time of transfer. _

_But then, why did he even take the risk in sending me here?_

He thought hard, but he did not come up with an answer immediately. Which was unfortunate, because Haruka had finally stopped staring lividly at him and left the room. His interrogation was about to resume. Tsunade turned to him again.

"Thanks to that interruption, I am out of time," she said. "I am scheduled to meet with the Kazekage in five minutes, so I can't stay. As much as I'm sure you'll miss me, you'll have to make do with Ibiki, here."

The torture expert stepped forward. "Come now, Tsunade-sama," he said, "My methods aren't that terrible. At least, they're never boring..."

Tsunade left the room, and the door closed.

Ibiki smiled.

"I've been planning out this day's fun for well over a year," he said.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Witnessing the invasion's aftermath first-hand did little to ease Sakura's anxiety. The district in which the Hokage tower was located had been the center for much of the devastation, and she was surrounded by ruin, rubble, and grieving citizens. Everywhere she went, everything she saw, made her reflect on just who it was who had orchestrated all of this.

_Sasuke-kun._

He might not have designed it—in fact, it was probably Orochimaru who deserved credit for that—but it had been Uchiha Sasuke who had seen it executed. There could be no skirting around that fact. Naruto would try to smash through it. Sakura could not.

Trudging wearily through the ashes of a once-happy neighborhood, she exerted every effort to hold herself tall, keep going. She was determined to do what she had resolved to do, as painful as it would be to her. The physical pain of her injuries helped distract her, and she was able to keep going.

Suddenly, the crowd ahead of her parted with a cry of alarm. Sakura raised her head to see what was going on, glad for an excuse to be drawn out of her dismal thoughts. When she saw the familiar face and clothes, her gladness increased; talking to a friend might do wonders for her nerves.

"Haruka-san!" she called. Haruka heard her and looked around a moment, then saw her and started in recognition. Sakura walked over to her.

"Sakura-san," Haruka said, clearly surprised. "They told me that you were badly injured. Why are you up and walking around so early?"

Sakura smiled. "The medical staff trust me to know when my own body is ready; I'm a medic, too, after all. I could have walked out of there much earlier, if I chose."

"Ah," Haruka said, "I see..."

Sakura began to notice something odd about the older woman. She seemed somehow subdued, complacent in comparison to her usual energetic and slightly mischievous self. Her face appeared tired and weathered, and the spark was gone from her eyes.

"Haruka-san?" Sakura asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but you seem a little out of sorts. Is something wrong?"

Haruka laughed. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm a bit annoyed because of the Branch House brown-nosers that have been following me around... 'Haruka-sama, Haruka-sama!' But they're just an inconvenience. Nothing's wrong, nothing at all..."

Sakura didn't buy it. Haruka was making an effort to act normal, but her eyes still looked dull, lifeless, and there was a hollowness to her laugh. The medic thought hard, wondering what could be bothering her. After a moment, something clicked.

"Haruka-san, where is Keisuke-san? Is he injured? Is that why you're upset?"

Sakura knew she'd struck gold in the next instant. Haruka's eyes flickered with momentary fire, and her brow twitched.

"No, he's not," Haruka said. "Though he will be when I find him... What, does he think I'll miss him while he's hiding out in the woods, playing his damned joke? I don't! Who'd miss an idiot like him, anyway?"

Haruka forgot Sakura entirely and stormed away, absorbed in her own thoughts.

_Hiding in the woods? _Sakura thought. _Practical joke? Somehow, I don't think that's what happened. Oh! Was Keisuke-san captured?_

She pondered the possibility as she walked the last block to the tower. _Naruto and Hinata-chan are coming together,_ she thought. _Haruka-san and Keisuke-san have been torn apart. _

Her breath caught in her chest, and her heart began to beat faster as she opened the door. Her anxiety was back in full swing as she entered the elevator and typed the code that would take her to the ANBU high-security facility below.

_What is going to happen to me?_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Morino Ibiki let the boy scream one last time, and then held his hand up, commanding a halt in the process.

"A little respite, gentlemen," he said. "This work makes me thirsty. And if we don't give him a break soon, he could die before we get anything out of him."

He moved for the door, intent on getting himself a glass of cool water. He'd been in there for only twenty minutes, but he'd already dealt enough pain to make even his hardest prior subject spill his guts. Normally, he liked to take things slower, but this was a special case. He was already proving to be the toughest shell yet, and he might be many times tougher still. It was going to take a lot of energy, but he was determined to crack the boy wide open.

As he opened the door, however, his eyes met with a head of pink hair. He nodded to himself in his mind; he'd expected the girl to show up here at least once. He moved out of her way courteously and closed the door behind her, forgetting his water for the moment. Haruno Sakura, the boy's former teammate, might have a certain ability to get under the Uchiha's skin that he, Ibiki, did not, and so he had decided beforehand to let her in if she showed up. Standing against the wall near the door, he waited to see what would happen.

The boy reacted with a sneer.

"Sakura," he said, "If you're here to try to talk sense into me again, it's too la..."

**CRACK.**

Ibiki and all of the ANBU present were shocked as the girl's fist slammed into Sasuke's jaw, making a horrible, sickening crunching sound as the bones fractured. None of them had expected this. They had been anticipating an exchange of questions, pleading, and argument. Under no circumstances had anyone ever, _ever _imagined Haruno Sakura walking into the room and punching a helpless Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke himself seemed mortified. He could no longer speak with his lower jaw broken, but the wide eyes and gutteral cry spoke enough for his feelings.

Sakura did not stay to watch his reaction. As soon as she'd finished, she turned on her heel and strode right back out the way she'd come. An alarmed ANBU found his coordination and opened and closed the door for her.

For a long moment, the room was motionless and silent. Then Ibiki found his wits.

"You," he said, pointing at the ANBU who had worked the door, "Get Tsunade-sama... no, she's busy, get Shizune-sama. If the boy is going to talk, he'll need his mouth fixed."

"H-hai, Ibiki-sama."

Ibiki watched the young ANBU go, then turned his gaze back onto Sasuke. Blood was dribbling out from between his lips, and his eyes remained open wide in stark disbelief. He didn't seem to quite comprehend what had been done to him. Ibiki himself was still having trouble believing it.

_That girl, _he thought, _has matured quite a bit in the last three years._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Mmmrrrgh..."

"Naruto-kun?"

"Mmmrrmph."

"Naruto-kun, are you awake?"

"Mmmph... huh? Sasuke!"

Naruto suddenly sat bolt upright in his bed, casting his eyes about for his treacherous former teammate.

"N-Naruto-kun, calm down. Sasuke-san is with the ANBU now, everything is okay..."

As his eyes finally adjusted to wakefulness, Naruto began to take in his surroundings. He realized that he was in Konoha's hospital. All about him were clean walls and linen bedsheets, fake plants, the patient file in the rack by the door, and sitting at the edge of his bed...

"Hinata?" he said, recognizing his roommate. "How long have I been here?"

The girl breathed a relieved sigh, glad that he was awake and had his wits about him. "We were admitted to the hospital nine hours ago, Naruto-kun," she said. "Sakura-chan was here with us also, but she left us thirty minutes ago."

"Oh," Naruto said. "And Sasuke? You said the ANBU had him?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes. Kakashi-sensei said that they plan to interrogate him as soon as he wakes up, to learn what they can from him about Orochimaru."

"Well, that's a good thing, I suppose," Naruto said, relaxing against his headboard. "It would be better if I could do the interrogating, but Tsunade obaa-chan would never let me..."

Hinata made no comment. She had feared that he would feel entitled to the decision of justice for Sasuke, and was pleased to see that he was not being so fanatical about it now. She didn't know how quickly that would change, however, so she felt it was best not to talk about it. She was spared the difficulty of finding something else to talk about by the loud rumblings of Naruto's stomach.

"Whoa," Naruto said. "I forgot that I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon. I knew I should have grabbed some ramen on the way out of the village."

Hinata smiled—here was a chance to get his thoughts off of Sasuke and on to other things... preferably her.

"It shouldn't be to late to get some now," she said. "I'm feeling well enough to move; would you like me to see what I can find in the hospital kitchen?"

Naruto's face brightened. Free food? He was there.

"Sure, Hinata-chan." he said cheerfully.

Flushing with pleasure at the honorific that Naruto rarely used in conjunction with her, Hinata got up and began to walk out of the room. She was just reaching for the door handle when Naruto's voice stopped her.

"Wait a minute. Before you go, I have a question."

Hinata turned to look back at him. She thought at first that it might have something to do with the food, but when she saw the serious, soul-piercing look in his blue eyes, she thought differently. Something important was on his mind. Her nerves began to prickle.

"Y-Yes?"

Naruto paused, as though carefully considering his thoughts.

"Last night..."

Hinata's heart rate increased. "Yes?"

"When you said, 'your life is as valuable as mine,' what did you mean?" Naruto was less immature than he had been three years ago. He had his suspicions about what she might have meant. The problem was, if it was what he thought it was, he had no idea what his reaction would be. There was, however, only one way to find out, and that was to confront her directly. They had just survived an incredibly rough battle together; what better time was there than now to ask?

He watched as the girl's cheeks colored and her eyes refocused from his face onto the floor. For a moment, he thought that she was going to fall back into her shy habit and give an unintelligible answer. But then, she seemed to take on a fresh determination. Though she remained red, she looked him squarely in the eyes, as she had done the night before. Her hands were clasped in front of her, but she did not fidget.

Her mouth opened.

"Na..."

"Naruto-kun!" interrupted another voice, "I heard that Sakura-san was in this room! Do you know where she went?"

Hinata started. "L-Lee-kun?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know where Sakura went off to. You might want to try the Hokage tower, though, since she has to report there sometime anyway."

"Ah, I see!" said the green-clad young Chuunin. "Thank you. I wish you a speedy recovery, Naruto-kun! And you, Hinata-san. Neji sends his love, as well, though he is currently very busy with things at the Hyuuga estate."

"Ah... thank you, Lee-kun." Hinata said.

Lee gave a wink and a toothy smile, and with a parting, "Sayonara!" was on his way.

Hinata stood at the door uncomfortably. Naruto gave an encouraging gesture.

"Okay, okay. What were you gonna say, Hinata?"

Hinata swallowed. She hadn't counted on being interrupted. She had to take a moment to collect her resolve once again. It didn't take long; within a few seconds, she was ready again.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Hinata!" yelled another voice from the doorway. "You're all right, huh? Did your sister come back okay?"

Naruto and Hinata turned their faces to the source of this new intruder. Kiba was there, looking into their room from a wheelchair. Akamaru sat comfortably on his right side, tail wagging happily.

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted. "What the heck happened to you?"

"Long story," Kiba said. "Got into a nasty fight with a couple of enemies over Hinata's little sister. I got whipped. Luckily, Shino's folks got me to the medics in time. I was almost a goner there!"

"Well," Naruto said, "It's good that you didn't die... I still owe you a rematch, after all."

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah, I forgot about that. Let's both concentrate on getting better first, okay?"

Naruto grinned, "Sure. But watch out once I'm out of here. Take it easy, dog-breath."

"You too. Glad to see you're okay, Hinata. Make sure this idiot keeps out of trouble."

"Thank you, Kiba-kun," Hinata said. "I-I will."

Kiba rolled away, Akamaru trailing happily alongside him.

"Geez," Naruto said, "Can you believe this? I didn't think we'd get interrupted this much."

Hinata silently agreed. It was beginning to frustrate her as well. _I won't let it happen again,_ she thought, and closed the door tightly. Stepping forward, she looked at Naruto again, determined to speak the words before she lost her chance.

"Naruto-kun, I..."

**SLAM.**

"Naruto-kun! Get up and get dressed."

"Ah, not again!" Naruto cried. "Haruka-nee-chan, we're a little busy right now..."

"I don't have time for busy," Haruka said, annoyed. "I've had enough of being put off. I'm doing it now, and you're going to help me."

Naruto sighed. It seemed that there was no avoiding it.

"Help you what, Haruka-nee-chan?"

Haruka's face was full of indestructible purpose.

"Help me find Keisuke."

OoOoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty-Eight oOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **I was tempted to put a really, really evil cliffhanger before the first interruption, but I thought better of it. So... everybody okay with where this is going? Or do I need to convince anybody that this is the right way?


	32. C29: Spontaneity

**A/N: **School and work at the same time has made me crazy busy, but my last day of work is approaching. That's right... as of next week, Lifethane will finally have what he has not had for well over a year: a weekend! All rejoice, for this will surely bring about an increase in productivity!

A few notes in response to your reviews...

1. No, this is not going to become a SakuLee fic. I rather like Lee and would very much like to see the guy have some luck, but it just doesn't fit with this story and I don't have the patience to develop a relationship that would be so ugly to start and so difficult to justify.

2. The Sakura punch was awesome. If you try to pass it off as "eh," or "it was pretty good," you are wrong. In fact, I think I am going to start a fan club for Sakura punching Sasuke, and have my version of Sakura punch Sasuke every time she sees him.

3. You're all lucky I'm not doing a self-insert. I would use Cliffhanger no Jutsu about as much as Naruto uses Kage Bunshin. And let's not even talk about the super version, Evil Cliffhanger no Jutsu, which I will demonstrate in my film against Kishimoto...

4. Everybody point and laugh at the stupid anime studio and their endless fillers. Lifethane pwnz joo.

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Spontaneity**

"I have told you," said the evil Sannin, "I am not at all worried."

Orochimaru sat shrouded in darkness, deep in the bowels of the earth where only his most trusted lieutenants would find him, and then only if he wanted to be found. The earthen walls of his throne chamber reverberated with the sounds of heavy work being done above. Yet the pillars holding them back from collapsing onto their occupants held true, and the Snake Sannin was comfortable in his hole in the ground.

"My objectives will still be achieved. I knew that Sasuke-kun would be unable to resist a chance to test himself against the Kyuubi child. I planned for every eventuality—If Sasuke-kun won, and took Naruto-kun alive, all would be well. If Sasuke-kun killed Naruto-kun, the secrets of this Reiude technique would not die with him; there was another that we could take. And if Sasuke-kun were defeated, by some twist of fate..."

"Orochimaru-sama, if Sasuke-sama does not return..."

Orochimaru held up a silencing hand. "He will."

"But, the Godaime Hokage will most certainly..."

"Kill him?" Orochimaru finished, laughing softly. "No, I think not. Not when he could be so useful to them. Information about my movements, my health, and my plans is in his head; information that they will want."

"And afterwards," muttered the visitor, "When there is no more use for him, they will dispose of him as they would any other traitor of their village."

"That is undoubtedly their intent," Orochimaru agreed. Then his little smile spread along his serpentine face. "But there is one person who, like us, will want to keep him alive. Someone who believes that he can be saved."

A short silence ensued, broken by comprehension.

"Uzumaki Naruto? Of all people, he is the least likely to have any power in the decision of Sasuke-sama's fate."

"By all means, then, underestimate him," said the Snake Sannin, still smiling. "You will be rather pleasantly surprised. Naruto-kun is quite close to Tsunade, and if he fails to influence her, then he is powerful enough to do it the rough way... If he was able to defeat Sasuke-kun, then saving him will be no difficult task."

The visitor considered.

"All right," he said, "Suppose the boy keeps Sasuke-sama alive. How, then, are we going to get them both to come here willingly?"

Orochimaru's grin broadened maniacally, and he leaned forward, allowing his face to be partially illuminated by torchlight.

"Sasuke-kun's natural inclination will be to return to me. Naruto-kun is not likely to stop him, as he will want to come to us as well. The reason, of course, being your prisoner... our very special guest..."

At last, the visitor's concerns seemed to be assuaged. He glanced away from his host and towards the unconscious prisoner, who was bound up in a black sheet and secured by tightly tied metal wire. The covering was opened at the top, allowing the top of his head to show through and letting in just enough air to prevent suffocation. A mane of brown hair and a sliver of pale forehead were all that was visible.

The visitor rose from his kneel and went to the prisoner's side. Pulling the cloth down below the captive's neck, he looked upon his face and smiled in mute satisfaction. The notion that this fool was the father of the greatest shinobi clan ever to live was ludicrous! Gazing into the prisoner's empty eye sockets, the visitor saw reflected in their darkness the image of a red-eyed blond.

_Uzumaki Naruto, _he thought, _I know you will not leave your pitiful friend here to suffer. No, you will come... and then I will show to you the nature of your folly. You have no hope of winning... all hope was erased on the day you crossed me!_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto stared incredulously at Haruka, all annoyance at being interrupted forgotten. "Nee-chan... Keisuke's missing? Are you sure he's not just playing another joke?"

"If he doesn't want to come home with both legs still attached, he'd better not be," Haruka fumed. Naruto had not seen her this upset in almost a year. She looked ready to crush, rend, and demolish anything—probably Keisuke himself included—to get to the blind man, wherever he was. The bed-ridden blond gulped; this was not going to be a pleasant encounter.

"Okay," he said, trying to be the anchor of rationality in the face of this angry storm. "Where did you last see him?"

"In his house," came the reply. "I came back there after the fighting ended to collect his gratitude, but the bastard was gone! All I found was this damned note!"

She dug a piece of paper out of her pocket and flipped it to him. Naruto read it, and his eyes went wide.

"Naruto-kun," asked Hinata carefully, "What is it?"

"This..." Naruto began, color draining from his face, "This isn't something that nii-chan would joke about... He'd say he was leaving because of Ero-sennin's bad smell or something that nee-chan was going to do to him. That kind of thing. Nothing like this..."

Hinata was puzzled. "Nothing like what?"

"Read it yourself," Haruka grated.

Naruto handed the paper to Hinata. She read it, and now it was her turn to act surprised.

"Oh!" she said. "Keisuke-san must have been kidnapped..."

"Bastard-napped, if you ask me," Haruka mumbled. Her impatience might as well have been advertised on a neon sign.

"But," Hinata asked, "Who would want to bastar... kidnap Keisuke-san? Who do we know that would want to try to take the power away from him?"

Naruto grimaced, a memory coming back to him. "Before you came, Hinata, Sasuke said this: 'Orochimaru is like me; he is always on the lookout for new powers that he can seize and master. If this Reiude can be obtained merely by a blood transfusion, then it would be worthwhile to collect a specimen and try it out.' Damn it, I should have guessed it before! The snake bastard would definitely have had a backup plan in case Sasuke failed. Even though he didn't get me, he'll still get the Reiude because he has Keisuke nii-chan!" He sat bolt upright in his bed, ignoring the pain of his wounds, and tried to rise.

"Damn it, I've gotta talk to Sasuke..."

"Naruto-kun, don't!" Hinata cried. She leapt forward and grabbed his wrist with one hand, using her other hand to try to force him to lie back down by pushing on the center of his chest. Naruto, caught off-guard, had no power to resist, and fell flat on his back again immediately. Hinata, who had expected him to fight back a little harder, couldn't stop her forward momentum, and fell on top of him.

"Oof!" wheezed Naruto as the air rushed out of his lungs.

Hinata lay still for a moment, comprehending her position. The top half of her was sprawled over his abdomen, one hand still gripping his wrist. The other hand, however, had grabbed a leg for support when she had begun falling, and her head, though it cleared his body, was in close proximity to Naruto's waist. The familiar heat crept into her face, multiplied several hundred times.

"Cute," Haruka commented blandly. "At any other time I'd be happy to use this for blackmail, but I'm not really in that particular mood today. Can we please move on?"

Blushing madly, Hinata carefully raised herself to her feet and re-seated herself in her chair by Naruto's bed. She recovered herself quickly, however, and looked seriously (if still slightly red-faced) at the careless blond.

"Please, Naruto-kun," she said, voice gentle but firm, "Don't try to get up. The doctors have not cleared you to move around yet. You won't be able to do anything for Keisuke-san if you reinjure yourself."

Naruto looked up into her eyes from the bed, and saw the concern there. Yet he had heard force in her words as well, something that had been absent from her in all their previous interactions. She was willing to fight him to keep him here and make him rest. Such benevolent spirit spoke to Naruto's rebellious soul, and made him relent.

"Okay, Hinata-chan," he said, smiling up at her, "You're right. I'll stay put."

"Stay put?" Haruka half-yelled in rage, "Keisuke is being taken to _Orochimaru_! This isn't Daisuke of the Grave or that time in the Grass Country or even Uchiha Sasuke; this is the man who kept Keisuke in his laboratory for weeks and tortured him just to see if being a blind fool makes you more susceptible to pain!"

Hinata and Naruto both recoiled from her, startled at her heated outburst. The woman was almost raving.

"This time, that idiot has something that Orochimaru wants. Do you really think he'll care if Keisuke dies, as long as he gets the Rokujuuyon Reiude from him? I don't, and that's why I'm not going to wait! If you can't move, then I'll move you! We'll take that Uchiha filth and make him talk, and then we'll turn the snake's nest upside-down until we find that blind bastard!"

Haruka started moving toward Naruto, face full of angry resolve, meaning to pluck the blond from his hospital bed and drag him away. Hinata saw this, and was in motion in an instant. She interposed herself between Haruka and Naruto, poised to strike if the older woman came any closer.

"Haruka-san, please, don't come any closer," she said. Her mind quailed in dismay, not wanting to strike a friend. But her eyes were set and determined, fiercely glaring at Haruka with the intent to stop her or die.

Haruka stopped, and her eyes closed. Apparently, she also was having misgivings about fighting Hinata. "I told myself, Hinata-sama," she said, "That if I were to swear allegiance to any leader, it would be to you."

Hinata balked, regarding Haruka with amazement. She wasn't the type to accept any leader at all, not even her...

"But," Haruka continued, "No matter how much I would rather avoid hurting you..."

Her head snapped back up. Her eyes were argent fire, searing into Hinata and Naruto with undeniable purpose. She cocked back her palm, ready to strike a stunning blow.

"Right now," she finished, "I will not be...!"

A light slapping noise was heard, followed by a heavy thud as Haruka crumpled to the floor. Mouth agape, Naruto stared long at her prone form, face down on the floor. Then his eyes fixed on the feet of her attacker, and began to move upward. His gaze crossed the length of a white traditional robe, all the way up to the face of...

"You!" he shouted, startled.

Hinata did not relax her defensive position, but her face took on a confused expression, as though debating whether or not it was safe to lower her guard. She looked upon the newcomer with a mix of recognition, fear, and hope.

"Father..." she said quietly.

Hiashi ignored them both. Instead, he called to two of the medics who were moving by in the hallway outside. When they came in the door, he indicated Haruka.

"She is not hurt," he said. "Only very stressed. Take her to a quiet, secure place where she may rest and not be disturbed, nor disturb anyone else."

"Hai, Hyuuga-sama," acquiesced the taller of the two med-nins. They retrieved a stretcher and arrange Haruka comfortably upon it, then lifted her up and bore her away. This done, Hiashi turned to his daughter.

"I do not come here to harm him, Hinata," he said, causing the girl to relax and drop her arms to her sides. "I would, however, like to speak with him. Privately, if I may."

Hinata looked at him nervously, clearly not entirely trusting his proclamation. Hiashi grimaced at this behavior, knowing that he had brought this distrust upon himself and wishing that he hadn't. Then the girl turned her face towards the boy in the bed, a question framed in her expression.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto, perfectly calm, nodded to her. "It's all right, Hinata. You can leave this to me."

She continued to look at him for a moment, as though measuring the sincerity of his statement. Hinata was looking for any excuse not to leave him alone with her father, the events of yesterday's encounter between the two fresh in her mind.

Eventually, however, she decided that he meant it, and resolved to let him do it his way. Though she regretted it, the Hyuuga girl collected herself, nodded, and walked past her father, departing gracefully and without another word. With a last cautioning look at Naruto, she closed the door behind her.

Naruto was alone with Hyuuga Hiashi.

Several minutes passed with both men awkwardly silent, the only sounds being those of the busy hospital outside the door. Naruto spent this time staring fixedly at Hiashi, sizing him up, waiting to see what it was he wanted and, if his intentions were in fact hostile, how he might counter them. But the Hyuuga head had told the truth when he had said he wasn't here to hurt him; he could have attacked silently and killed him at any time, yet he remained standing where he was, his eyes closed, composing himself.

Finally, when he had apparently collected himself sufficiently and had the right words in mind, Hiashi opened his silver eyes and broke the silence.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he began, "I have thought about you many times recently. Because of your involvement with Haka no Keisuke, those thoughts were almost exclusively negative. I believed that you were part of a plot to infiltrate the Hyuuga and tear it apart from within. Yet, this plan of yours and the Great Father's turned out to be benevolent..."

"Excuse me," Naruto interrupted, looking quizzical. "What do you mean? What's this plan you're talking about?"

Hiashi's eyebrows raised unconsciously. He had thought that the boy knew, was in on it with full cooperation. This changed some things, but it did not significantly alter what he had to say.

"Very well," he said, "It seems that Keisuke has not openly included you in his plan, but has been manipulating you, steering you stealthily into this without your knowledge. He is gone now, and his goal has likely already been met; he should not object to me telling you."

Naruto cocked his head, trying to make sense of what was being said. "Nii-chan was manipulating me? Damn, I need to work on my perception skills. All this time, and I never guessed..."

Hiashi cleared his throat. "If I may?"

Naruto stopped talking.

"Thank you. As I was saying, the Great Father—Keisuke—had a plan, in which you played the key role. His aim was to bring you closer to my daughter, so that you might marry into the Clan and gain a position of power. In this way, Keisuke hoped to gain a foothold in Hyuuga and alter it for what he perceived to be its own benefit."

Naruto's mind reeled. "Closer to Hinata? Marry into the Hyuuga? That's what nii-chan wanted?"

"That is what he told me," Hiashi said. "And it seemed as though he was making progress, during those weeks when you were assigned to her protection. It is not surprising, considering my daughter's affection for you. She has long admired you, and over the years this admiration has become a powerful infatuation, and recently love... Are you all right?"

Hiashi looked down upon the floor where Naruto had landed, tangled in his bedsheets. The boy had been leaning so far towards his visitor in an effort to hear him clearly that he had fallen out, and was now struggling against sheets and bandages to get back onto it. The Hyuuga watched the scene with mute amusement.

"I see that you did not know this, either," he said.

"Ehehe..." Naruto said, finally managing to get back on top of the mattress. "Well, I kinda suspected it, these past few days. She started getting more confident, and that made her more expressive... So I had a hunch. But you're right, she didn't confirm it, and the concept is still new to me, so I'm kind of surprised."

Hiashi surprised Naruto by giving a small smile. "You seem to be taking the news fairly well. I certainly did not." His smile turned sad, remembering the horrible conflict that he had had with his daughter that day. Naruto caught his change of emotion, and regarded the older man with a straighter face, listening respectfully for once.

"I was prejudiced against Keisuke because I believed him to be a false Great Father, a relative of yours come to take vengeance against Hyuuga for a past offense. I saw you as guilty by association, and even worse—for you also harbor unwillingly a monster that nearly annihilated our home. For those reasons, I failed to hear anything of your good qualities, and forbade Hinata contact with you in any sense except in the line of duty."

Hiashi smiled ruefully. "You can imagine how spited I felt when I learned that you had been assigned as her personal guard. I had efforts organized to observe you, and make certain that you crossed no lines. Luckily, these were thwarted by our mutual friend, Haruka, as were those of the council. The latter, by the way, has been disbanded. When Hinata inherits the Clan, she will rule absolutely with no opposition."

Naruto smiled. "That's good."

"It is," agreed Hiashi, nodding. "But it is beside the point, which is that I misjudged you, and treated you unfairly until events yesterday caused my point of view to expand. Hinata has told me the tale of how you protected her from being branded with the seal of the Caged Bird—a sacrifice that must have caused you great pain and which raises dangerous questions. I have also been told by Hanabi that it is because of you that I still have two daughters."

"Ah," Naruto said, remembering the last incident, "So she did make it back all right. That's good. Hinata wouldn't have been happy if she had died."

"Without a doubt," Hiashi said. "And neither would I have. For these two great acts of heroism, as well as countless smaller ones that I have yet to hear of, you deserve thanks, Uzumaki Naruto. Allow me to offer that gratitude, along with my apology. You are indeed the strong and good person that my daughter professes you to be. I would fall to my knees, but such a gesture would not be enough to express the acknowledgment you are due."

Naruto sat against his headboard, regarding the tall Hyuuga. Though the posture was rigid and the lips were tight, the sliver eyes were full of sincerity. This, along with the gracious words that had been spoken, fed straight into Naruto's brain as good signs. The blond gave a giant grin that spanned the width of his face.

"Heh, you can tell that you and Hinata are related," he said. "Both of you are too nice when you compliment people. It wasn't that hard, really..."

"Likewise, Naruto-san," Hiashi said, "You are too modest in accepting such compliments, much like your father was."

The blond's head perked up, and his blue eyes stared through the Hyuuga head with a new interest. What was it he had said about his father? Naruto, having never known his parents, was more than willing to hear stories about them.

"Are you surprised that I knew your father?" asked Hiashi. "I did not know him in the sense that you know your friends; we were acquaintances, working in the same occupation. I remember that he was not quite so inclined towards noisiness and chaos as you were in youth, but he was able to put his heart into the missions that he was assigned, and he did well, receiving many compliments. As I said, he was modest when people that he knew and respected offered him praise for great deeds. He was a good person; it was a shame that the Hyuuga did not acknowledge it."

"Eh?" Naruto questioned, "If he was such a great guy, then what could he have done to piss off your Clan?"

Hiashi called back memories that made his soul ache. "They despised him for a reason similar to one of the several that caused me to demonize you: he courted my sister. It is understandable for such people as mine to want to keep marriages in the same high social class; that is, my parents and their supporters did not want my sister to marry one of such low station as your father. The scandal nearly tore the Clan to pieces."

Listening intently, Naruto took all of this in with grim patience. This was beginning to sound like a tragedy.

"And? How did the problem get solved?" he asked.

"It is a long tale," Hiashi conceded. "One that I would tell you later, when I have more time. But my Clan requires my attention, so I must be brief. My sister and your father were taken prisoner by a brutal organization of raiders, and my sister was murdered. Your father risked his life to return her body to its home. This should have redeemed him in the eyes of all of the Hyuuga, but it did not. Because of their prejudice towards him for his earlier offense, they continued to hate him.

"Their lack of gratitude hurt him, and transformed him into a much more subdued version of his former self. His life was rarely happy after that. Though he managed to move on and marry another woman, he never fully recovered. He died fighting the monster kitsune, Kyuubi, on the night that you were born. Your mother died shortly afterward."

Hiashi regarded Naruto's sad visage, and regretted having to tell him such a sad story. Yet, he resolved to finish it.

"I have recognized him as a good person. You and any siblings you might have had would have been right to seek vengeance, and I count myself as lucky that you do not. It was wrong of my clan to do this to him after what he sacrificed for my sister. Because of us, a good shinobi's career was stunted. Such a waste, and the fault is ours. For this also, I apologize, Naruto-san.

"He was Uzumaki Kenji, first user of the Rokujuuyon Reiude and the maternal half-brother of Yondaime Hokage."

This last sentence hit Naruto like a ton of bricks. _Half-brother? So that means... I'm Yondaime's half-nephew? _He turned this realization over and over in his mind. Then, another one: _First Reiude user? That means it _is _inherited after all... This is huge..._

Naruto's thoughts were broken by Hiashi's voice, continuing to speak.

"I know that I have said much already, and that you require time to think on this," he said, "But I must say one thing more before I leave you. Haka no Keisuke has been taken by an enemy of immense power. I know that you will follow after him, no matter what anyone may say to convince you not to. I also know that Hinata will want to go with you. Know that I will trust you to protect her with your life, as Kenji would have done, and as I have no doubt that you will succeed in doing. I expect no less from the man whom I will one day know as Hokage-sama. Do you understand?"

Hearing these words, Naruto felt a new vigor come into his body. He had thought that he was going to be subjected to the drivel of an angry parent or the wrath of a vengeful Jyuuken God. Instead, he had gained the acceptance of yet another former enemy. And to be acknowledged as the future Hokage...

Naruto raised his less injured arm in a sloppy, bandage-restricted salute that made Hiashi smirk.

"Yes, sir!"

"Good," said the Hyuuga head. "Now, I must return to my people. Rest well, Naruto-san, and good luck." Hiashi departed, leaving Naruto to his many thoughts.

Sunlight poured in from the open window, bathing the blond in its golden glory. The effect bolstered Naruto's positive mood, curing his spirit.

_I won't need luck,_ he thought. _I've never had any. But I always succeeded without it, and I will again!_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_This time, it's definitely going to succeed,_ Hinata thought. She had seen her father leave the building, looking as though he'd left behind a great burden. After listening for several minutes and not hearing any screams of alarm from the direction of Naruto's floor, she was satisfied that it had gone well. Now, then, was the perfect time to finish what she'd begun. Carrying a fresh bowl of miso-pork ramen in her hands, she climbed the steps to the correct floor and began walking the length of the hall back to the room they shared.

_I won't become flustered, even if I'm interrupted, _she assured herself. _I'll lock the door and have him eat this. Then, when he is calm and there is nothing else to stop me, I will say it. _

Hinata ran this plan over and over in her mind thirteen times before finally reaching the door. It was closed, but not locked, and she opened it slowly. She was still not entirely sure that her father had left him totally fine, but she wouldn't know unless she looked.

To her relief, he was perfectly intact and was busy staring out of the window, absorbed in thought. She put on her best cheerful face and called to him softly.

"Naruto-kun, I brought you some food. You do like miso-pork, right?"

Naruto turned to see her and the bowl she carried. He took a sniff of the ramen fumes in the air and matched her cheerful smile with his own.

"Yep, I do! Thanks a lot, Hinata-chan."

"Ah, good... You're welcome," she said with a blush. Tentatively, she sat down on the edge of the bed and reached the ramen towards him.

Naruto sat up carefully against the headboard again and accepted the bowl and chopsticks from her gratefully. In the space of thirty seconds, half of the noodles were gone. Hungry from the long previous day and from nearly twenty-four hours without food, Naruto ate with the usual gusto and with even more enjoyment.

Yet, after a few moments, Hinata took note of some odd behavior in the boy. Naruto ate with his normal enthusiasm, but he did it while watching _her_. He seemed to be looking for something in her, as though he had been told that she was carrying a fortune in Ichiraku free ramen passes on her person and was trying to catch a glimpse of them. While Hinata was happy—and somewhat red—for the attention, she could not help but wonder what had brought it on.

_Is it because I never answered his question before, and he is even more curious? Or... did Father tell him something?_

Naruto's sudden cessation of eating brought Hinata's train of thought to an abrupt stop; he had finished the bowl, and was now regarding her intensely. It seemed that he had had enough of trying to find the answer in her appearance, and was making ready to phrase his question in words.

"Hinata," he said, starting off in a serious tone. Then his mouthparts failed him, and he had to struggle to get the rest of it out. "Your dad, when he was in here... uh... he said something that had me wondering."

The Hyuuga girl found herself feeling strange. Something big was about to happen, she could sense it. What was it that her father had told him that was so difficult for him to ask about?

"What was it, Naruto-kun?" she asked.

"Well, uh... about you..."

Hinata felt her heart leap up between her ears. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder and make sure that the door was locked; if this was what she thought it was, some nervous impulse like that could ruin the moment. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on Naruto, and was surprised to see that _he_ was beginning to change color slightly. There was no longer any doubt—this would be it.

"Hinata, he told me that you... ack!"

A large concussion rocked the building, sending the empty ramen bowl to the floor, where it shattered. Hinata was unbalanced in her seat and sent sprawling backwards against Naruto. The blond caught her with one arm around her shoulders, using his other arm to steady himself against the aftershocks.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto wondered aloud. A cool female voice issuing from the intercom system in the wall answered him.

"_Please remain calm. The concussion that you have just felt was not an earthquake. The enemy damaged several water mains in their initial attack, and many of those damaged pipes have been bursting spontaneously throughout the village. Do not be alarmed; we are safe, and the leak will be stopped quickly. Thank you for understanding."_

Naruto screwed up his face in annoyance. "Damn it!" he said, "I've had enough of these stupid interruptions!"

So had Hinata. She was tired of having her words drowned out by other people and actions. She would stand for it no longer; this was going to happen now, or never. A gleam of inspiration sparked in her lavender-tinted eyes.

"Hell with it," Naruto mumbled, "Hinata..."

Naruto was cut off by a slender white hand that reached toward and then around his head, pulling it downwards. He was about to question the hand, but he was soon occupied with something else; a pair of soft lips pressed firmly against his own, and he could not protest.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The Godaime Hokage sat in her office, holding conference with her advisors, with the leaders of the damage control and restoration units, and with two other important people. The first of these latter two was the Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, who had volunteered to leave a garrison of his own elite shinobi to help protect the village while it rebuilt itself, and with whom Tsunade discussed the establishment and protection of new supply lines to speed up the recovery. The second was Morino Ibiki, who was now making his report before the congregation.

"We have had moderate success," he said. "From the prisoner, Uchiha Sasuke, we have learned that Orochimaru is currently in a weakened state, due to the rejection process in his borrowed body having commenced. We have also learned that he is planning another attack in the near future, though he will not be using his own Sound shinobi. Instead, he will use agents within the Country of Water to manipulate the Mizukage and his forces. This involves, to some degree, convincing the Kirigakure shinobi that we have been weakened far beyond our ability to fight off invaders and that this is an optimum time to attack us. Other persuasive strategies are likely in place, but this is the one that the prisoner saw most fit to mention."

Tsunade nodded. "And have you gained any knowledge of Orochimaru's whereabouts?"

Ibiki frowned. "No, Hokage-sama. He has absolutely refused to give any details about Orochimaru's exact location. However..."

He let this last word hang a moment, making sure that he had the required attention before resuming.

"Hokage-sama, I cannot guarantee that what he says on this last matter is truthful, but to use any more force to try to verify it would be fatal to the prisoner. I myself do not know what to make of it..."

Tsunade's turn to frown came, and she took the chance. "Out with it, Ibiki."

Ibiki paused, inhaled, and continued. "Tsunade-sama, Uchiha Sasuke offers a bargain. He will guide a force of our shinobi to Orochimaru's next scheduled hideout, in exchange for his life. Allow me to make it clear that he does not ask for his freedom; he wants merely to live. I cannot know for sure what it means, but it may just be that he thinks he's good enough to escape on his own, if he regains his strength."

The Godaime took this in, considered it. This could mean any number of things; Sasuke giving himself a chance to escape, Orochimaru setting a trap for them... _But,_ she thought, _on the off-chance that his offer is a genuine one, it could allow us to get rid of Konoha's greatest enemy forever. I'm not a good gambler... but is this offer a bet that I really want to pass up? _

Not committing herself either way just yet, the Hokage decided that she would squeeze as many details out of the interrogator as she could before making a choice.

"Ibiki," she said, "Have you been able to get any information at all about the general area of this hideout he wants to take us to?"

Ibiki nodded the affirmative. "I have, Hokage-sama. As I said, he will not tell me the exact location, but he has given me the name of the region."

Tsunade bored her eyes into him. "Well?"

"Hokage-sama," Ibiki said, "The facility that Uchiha Sasuke has named is in the region known as The Grave.

OoOoOoOoOo End Chapter Twenty-Nine oOoOoOoOoO

**A/N: **Whew! Got one done finally after over a week of working my backside off. Hope you enjoyed it. I can't wait to start writing the next one.

I gave Kenji—translating loosely into "strong second son"--his name for the fact that though he was strong in his own right, he came in second to his half-brother. I wouldn't know the birth order for myself... that was my version of Hiashi telling the story, not me.


	33. Epilogue: Seeing Again

**A/N: **As of October 12th, 2006, I, Dustin "Lifethane" do hereby quit my security guard job. Until I ship out to the Navy in February 2007, I will take orders from nobody. This is the beginning of the end of my civilian life, and I plan to spend it on me... and, because I love my reviewers and worshipers so much, on you.

I feel as though a grand new era of my life has begun. For this reason, and for the fact that "Lacking Sight" is not as appropriate a title as before (The blind ones, A.K.A. Naruto and the Hyuugas and—to some degree—Sasuke have all woken up), I am wrapping up Lacking Sight and beginning where it leaves off in a sequel story. It's been fun... but now my evil comes to a peak, for you must all take the grueling effort to add another story to your alert list! Ha ha HA!

**Epilogue: Seeing Again**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was in good hands. It's Hokage was still alive and strong, getting the wounded back on their feet and overseeing the reconstruction effort with a watchful eye and a strong governing hand. The posts of the dead were being manned by Konoha's allies, the Suna shinobi, who were captained by Kankurou and Temari, the Kazekage having returned to his own village, where reports of Hidden Rock scouts were already trickling in. Those who hadn't died went on with their missions, continuing to bring revenue into the shinobis' coffers. Konoha would continue to thrive, and would be strong again quickly.

But before tranquility set in again, there were other matters to deal with besides the reconstruction and defense. The Hyuuga Clan, though it had not been exterminated, was going to be going through a structural overhaul, its Advisory Council gone and its Branch families lacking an official leader. Some of the members of the Village Council had been killed. Reports were coming in of strange activity in the Country of Water, seemingly verifying the information given by the prisoner, Uchiha Sasuke, who was himself an enigma. And most mystifyingly, two high-level ninjas had disappeared without a trace.

It was these last last two issues that Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, called together six of her most trusted shinobi to address. Before her they stood, attentive and quiet, waiting for her to begin. Tsunade herself looked them up and down. They had healed up quite nicely, though the wear and tear on their souls was prominent in their eyes. This wear did not deter Tsunade, however; these were shinobi that had survived trials of unspeakable difficulty and prevailed, and that made them trustworthy.

"Let's begin," she said. "I know you've all seen a lot in these last few days. Only three days ago, we suffered the largest loss since the Sand and Sound invasion almost three years before. Each of you suffered in keeping the village safe, and for that I want to thank you. But I need to ask you to put aside your pain and fatigue, because another task needs doing that I will trust with no one else. Can I rely on all of you?"

"No problem, Tsunade Baa-chan," asserted the young man on the far right. His blue eyes sparkled at the prospect of action, and the Hokage could not help but grin warmly at the blond-haired boy wonder.

"I also am ready, Hokage-sama," agreed the soft-spoken girl next to him. The pearls of her eyes focused on Tsunade when she spoke, but the Hokage noted that she flicked them towards Naruto often. The boy had only been released from the hospital this morning; she was worried that he might re-injure himself if he pushed it too hard. Naruto noticed and gave her a smile, attempting to reassure her, though something in his eyes suggested to Tsunade that all was not quite well within his mind. The girl, however, did not question it.

"I will obey your commands, Hokage-sama," declared the handsome youth standing protectively Hinata's other side. He seemed to notice the silent interchange between the two on his right, but did not react; he knew that his attention was owed to the Hokage, and kept his silver eyes focused forward. He would assess the situation with them later.

"We're good to go. Aren't we, Akamaru?"

"Woof!"

Tsunade smiled at the young man and the huge dog that sat wagging his tail behind him. These two had also recovered remarkably quickly, a testament to the strength of their bond. The boy seemed a little miffed at having been able to do so little against Hanabi's assassins, but his joy at surviving and being able to stand with his faithful pet again outweighed it; he was ready.

The heavily bundled figure to Kiba's left merely nodded his head. He was as quietly composed as ever, a trait that would prove invaluable in a mission of this kind. Silently admiring his unrivaled cool-headedness, Tsunade turned her focus to the last of the six.

The Hokage's pink-haired apprentice was different from before. It was not a large difference; she still had the attentiveness, the desire and drive to improve herself, and the care for her friends. But there was a subtle change in the way she bore herself and in her green gaze. She seemed somehow more relaxed, more at peace. Tsunade was pleased to see that Sakura's past mistakes no longer haunted her.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

"Good," Tsunade said. She rose from her desk and walked to stand before one of the windows of the office, looking out over the village. From this spot, she swept her gaze across the damage and the crews working to repair it. The sun was bright today; a fine day to begin a journey. Satisfied, the Godaime began the briefing.

"Your mission has two purposes," she said. "It is a combination of reconnaissance and rescue. Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji, I am entrusting the two of you with the care of our prisoner, Uchiha Sasuke."

A sharp intake of breath was heard from several of those gathered, but Tsunade held up her hand, stopping all questions before they began.

"Do not argue with me about it. He was Naruto's prisoner to begin with, and as his former close teammate, Naruto is the one who will know best what to make of Uchiha's words and actions. Neji is very skilled at reading people, and will be able to warn the others if he suspects danger from him. They will have full responsibility for him. If you have a problem with the prisoner, take it up with one of them."

The six remained hushed. For only two people to be trusted with such a dangerous criminal...! The shock of it was astounding. Still, none of them could bring themselves to argue the point. The Hokage's word was law, and shinobi had to be able to trust her reasoning.

"As I was saying," Tsunade continued, "Your mission is twofold. Uchiha Sasuke will guide you to the Grave, a wasteland region between the Earth and Rice Field countries. We have cause to believe that Orochimaru might be going there. If he is, you will perform reconnaissance, acquiring information about his planned movements and actions, locations of his other strongholds, and the status of his strength—military power and the strength of his current body. This is _not_ an assassination mission. Do not attack without cause, and if you are attacked and able to run, then run.

She paused to allow questions. When there were none, she continued.

"Second, we believe that Haka no Keisuke, who disappeared in the chaos of the invasion, was captured by Orochimaru's agents, and that Orochimaru is attempting to extract or replicate his unique abilities. Conduct a thorough search for him and, if you find him, rescue him using any means necessary. He is a shinobi of the Leaf, and we will not leave him behind."

"Tsunade Baa-chan?" asked Naruto when she stopped. "Why aren't you sending Haruka nee-chan with us? She's been Keisuke nii-chan's partner for two years... I know she really wants to bring him back."

Tsunade grimaced. Naruto probably knew better than she did; after all, the boy had only three years ago tried and failed to bring back his own best friend, the traitor Uchiha. The failure had been haunting him for years, and though he managed to get over it and work on becoming stronger, it undoubtedly must have hurt him on the inside. Knowing what loss could do to a person, was it right to deny Haruka even the chance to try?

She sighed. This was all so hard on her already-aching head...

"I did not call her here because of her deplorable behavior in the aftermath of the battle. As much as I'm sure you're right, Naruto, I cannot allow such an unstable shinobi to go into battle. Then again," she said, considering, "I haven't heard a word out of her since her episode at the hospital. Where has she been for the last two days?"

Naruto did not know, and did not speak. Hinata, however, did.

"I... I saw her once, Hokage-sama. She was in Keisuke-san's house... The place was a mess, and the walls were ripped out in places, as though she had been checking behind them. But when I found her there, she was just sitting quietly in the middle of the living room, looking at nothing, and when I tried to talk to her, she asked me politely to go away..."

_This could be trouble,_ Tsunade thought. _From what I've heard, Hyuuga Haruka being quiet and polite is about as bad as Naruto rejecting ramen. And the fact that she's doing it in that place doesn't help._

"Very well," she said, making a decision, "Hinata, Naruto, and Neji... the three of you go to her before you leave. If she appears to sane and can function with a sense of normalcy, then take her with you. If not, leave her here. I don't want any unchecked emotions jeopardizing this mission. Understood?"

When she received three affirmatives, the Hokage nodded and went on.

"Hyuuga Neji, you will be the official team leader. Take charge and do not fail—this mission could give us critical information."

Neji straightened. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade nodded in satisfaction. "All right. Everyone but Naruto, you are dismissed. Neji, I want you to have them ready to depart before sunset. Go."

Naruto and Tsunade watched as the other five filed out of the room. Neji closed the door behind them. The Godaime waited until the last of the footsteps faded away before clearing her throat.

"Baa-chan, why did you have me stay behind? If it's about my seal, it's fine. It doesn't hurt..."

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Hokage said, maintaining an air of authority, "I have read the reports of your performance in the battle three days ago. After much review, the survivors of the Village Council and the officials in the shinobi registry office have agreed that you have demonstrated phenomenal combat capability, a capable and quick-thinking mind for battle, and the ability to know what is important and act rightly even in the face of death."

Naruto's eyebrows raised, and he stared at her in awe. He hadn't been complimented this much by an adult in a long time. And he'd _never _been complimented seriously by anyone using an official-sounding tone. Where was she going with this?

"I regret that we do not have the time or resources to give you the badges of your new station," she apologized, "But that will be remedied upon your safe return."

_New station._

Naruto suddenly seemed to comprehend, but wasn't quite believing it. "Baa-chan, you don't really... do you?"

Tsunade smiled wide, dropped the authoritative tone, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Naruto," she said, "On your promotion to the Chuunin level."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Haruka sat in shadow within the emptiness of the house, her thoughts on its last inhabitant. She remembered clearly the last moments she had had with him, the last things they'd said...

"_You'd better hide yourself well, you big blind dolt. If I come back here and you're dead, I'll be really mad at you for taking away my favorite door mat. Now, I've got things to kill."_

"_Undoubtedly. Don't have too much fun, though, Sadist. Leave one for me to talk to later."_

"_I won't promise anything, but I'll try. Later."_

Ah, the old game. The absence of the Sadist and Blind Fool bullshit that they'd hurled back and forth at each other for two years gnawed at her.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself and to no one, "I didn't know I'd gotten so dependent on all those insults..."

It was so unfair. Keisuke had just achieved one of his life's greatest goals, and brought his lost children back into the light. So unfair! They'd only just patched up their partnership, and now the two of them were torn apart again by outside forces. Yes, she'd responded irrationally to his disappearance, but damn it, the sheer unfairness of it made her mad as hell! She clenched her fists in her lap, trembling with remembered fury.

_No, calm down, _she thought. _I can't do anything if I just rage and scream and smash things up. I have to hold it in, and act like a shinobi, or I can't bring him back. _

But holding it down was not easy. The shaking intensified. No matter how hard she tried, her anguished rage would not be banished. Haruka felt another session of smashing and tearing ahead of her...

"Haruka-san!"

"Haruka nee-chan!"

Hinata. Naruto.

Haruka remembered, again, how she had been about to attack Hinata despite her having done no wrong, and drag Naruto out of his room while he was healing and in pain. The guilt washed over her like a watery prank that Keisuke and Naruto had once pulled on her together, snuffing the dark fires of her anger. Naruto, Hinata, and Neji entered the room, and worry was on their faces.

"Nee-chan," asked Naruto, squatting down in front of her, "You okay?"

As it had before, when Hinata had visited her, the guilt humbled Haruka. Staring at the floor, she answered him without energy.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun," she said softly. "I'm just recovering, you know, after all that fighting..."

Naruto's concern did not fade, but he chose not to pursue a more honest answer. Instead, he said what he'd come to say, laying it all out on the table for her without any nonsense to accompany it.

"Nee-chan, we're going to go find Orochimaru. We think he has Keisuke nii-chan with him. We want you to go with us."

Haruka's head perked up. After she had interrupted an interrogation and threatened the health of him and Hinata, they were still interested in keeping her around? And... What was that about finding Keisuke?

Naruto kept talking, hoping to get a response. "The thing is, there's only me, Hinata, Neji, Kiba, Shino, and Sakura going, since everyone else is either working on the village or doing other missions, and we'd all feel better if we had one more person. You never know if we might get caught between a wall and some patrol, or if our guide might lead us astray. That and..."

The blond looked at her pleadingly, as though begging a favor. What was this all about?

"Well, Hinata and I were wondering if you might teach us a little bit more about the Synchronization jutsu. It saved our lives against Sasuke, and we thought if you had any tips, you know..."

Haruka felt ashamed and relieved at the same time, and dropped her head to her chest. She had such good and forgiving friends, and she had hidden herself away like a depressed psychopath, rejecting their help. And if Keisuke could have watched the way she was acting now, he would have laughed himself silly. She could just imagine his eyeless face contorted with mirth.

_Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Is that really you, Haruka? What happened to the Sadist, who never took shit from anyone, even herself?_

She was blank-faced for a moment, imagining it. Then, her lips formed a smirk, and she raised her head.

_I'm right here, you damned idiot. Just how blind can you get?_

"Let's go," she said. There was no rage in her voice, only the determination and cunning that was the Sadist. "We're going to bring that blind bastard back here, and then he'll get a whipping he'll never forget!"

_You made the Hyuuga see again... In return, I'll make this Orochimaru bastard see death!_

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Unspeakable pain was breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Keisuke. He spent his entire day on an operating table, having blood drawn, skin sliced away, electric currents run through him, and various other medical tests with various sinister-looking machinery. And every test took at least three times as much sample as it needed to, if not more.

Yet, after hour upon hour of torturous examination, his captor finally halted. Gasping for breath, Keisuke could barely hear Orochimaru speak over the frantic thumping of his own heart.

"Well," said the Snake Sannin, "I'm afraid that we can do no more today. My body is weakening, and must rest before we continue. And when I awaken, we must travel. But not to worry, my blind friend—You will be entertained until I return."

Keisuke heard the rustling and clacking of plastic tubing. Orochimaru was putting something into his intravenous tubes.

_More drugs?_ Keisuke thought. He would have thought aloud, if he weren't laboring to stay awake against the effects of the new medicine.

"A gift to you," said the serpentine master, "In honor of our renewed acquaintance..."

The Snake Sannin's laughter was drowned out by the onset of forced sleep. A silent blackness fell over him. But this lasted for only a moment, as the drugs began to bring him dreams.

Dreams he never imagined he would see again. Keisuke watched them and wished that he could scream.

They were the worst kind of nightmare, because each and every one of them had actually happened.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO To be continued... OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**Coming soon: _The War of the Eyes_**

The next Great Shinobi War has begun. The Leaf has been damaged, but they are still combat-capable and their defenses are far from crumbling. Allied with the Sand, they stand firm against the combined forces of the Rock and the Sound. However, the early warning signs of other powers entering the fray have already begun to show, and the border lands are crawling with enemies.

It is into this contested wilderness that eight shinobi venture forth. Their purpose is double: Obtain information about Orochimaru, the sinister master ninja who initiated the war, and rescue Keisuke, shinobi of the Leaf and friend to Uzumaki Naruto. The journey will lead them through mountains, valleys, and forests fraught with peril to their final destination—the wasteland known as the Grave, at the heart of which lie the ruins of Keisuke's birthplace.

Throughout the trek, Naruto's mind must juggle many conflicts. Among them are the complications of the Caged Bird seal and its effect on his tenant, Kyuubi, the trustworthiness of his former-teammate-now-prisoner, Uchiha Sasuke, the whereabouts of his former mentor, Jiraiya, and the truth about his own feelings for Hyuuga Hinata, whose recent confession has made of his heart a conundrum. Though he keeps his many questions to himself and trains himself intensely in preparation for the coming conflict, he cannot help but feel that their weight will slowly crush him if he does not find the answers.

And all the time, he cannot shake off the feeling that he is being constantly watched by multiple deadly powers...


End file.
